BEGINNINGS AND ENDS…STRANGE BUT ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN LIFE

...A river's beginning...

Why is it that people think starting over means repeating everything they originally did, expecting different results than those that initiated the “re-do,” AND seem to think nothing of the time that it takes to do something twice rather than the time it should have taken to do it right the first time? Rather than focusing upon what DOES NOT (or did not) work, might it not be more practical to focus on WHAT COULD WORK THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN ATTEMPTED OR CONSIDERED when starting over after an original effort either failed or produced less than acceptable results? Such a new beginning – the fresh start from which any journey should originate – might help to change the world rather than simply altering one’s perspective. It is amazing how few people understand that every end necessarily initiates a new beginning (as life moves on and adapting to where it goes requires us to move from where we were to where we are going) BUT new beginnings may continue throughout life (with different outcomes being realized from building upon and expanding each beginning) without ever acknowledging or accepting a definitive or obvious end in the growth process.

Thinking about all that has been done in the past (then filtering those actions through the lens of practicality, considering how different experiences might be applied to resolve a non-related issue and moving cautiously forward without anticipating nor fearing failure) tends to create an environment that welcomes new beginnings. Before we can “undo” what has been “done” or alter a result, however, we must: 

·         Recognize why we do not like where we are (even if we have not yet figured out what we must do differently to change where we ended up)

·         Identify what (specifically) was done in the past that brought us to where we find ourselves

·         Be willing to take action that will change or alter (rather than perpetuate) a situation

·         Act (or intentionally and knowingly choose not to act) to initiate movement

·         Monitor all initiated processes without interfering with progress

·         Be willing to change your minds if/when a situation or condition changes

·         Communicate all new realities and continually build upon them rather than accepting them as the only possible resolution or “new normal” 

“Ends” can often come prematurely if a “new beginning” is not given enough time to be realized OR if it is given partial effort (or commitment) resulting in failure (self-fulfilling prophecy). Think about how invested you were in implementing “what needed to be done” when you began a “journey” that did not culminate in a successful result. Did you “own” what you were doing or expecting or were you simply following someone else’s orders to avoid claiming responsibility for results? If you began your journey at the request of (or as directed by) another, doing as you were told using the tools, concepts, and pre-conceived beliefs someone else provided without risking anything of your own, did you ever consider where YOU wanted to go and how you might be able to get there – to a path upon which nobody may have ever wandered? When one is truly comfortable with how things are (or they have shelter beneath the wings of another who is assuming all the risks even if that person may receive all the rewards) there is no amount of discussion, collusion or convincing that will force them to invest their own energy to create a new path, process or set of results. If, however, one wishes to do MORE than has been done in the past – to “double the harvest” rather than reaping the minimum from what was sowed – then things must be done differently if one is hoping to realize new or unanticipated results.

In order to arrive at an answer in which you can believe and feel comfortable, you must identify every opportunity – every new path upon which you can walk – then move forward from where you are to where you might want to be…recognize that one cannot move forward when firmly and comfortably planted in the ground upon which they stand. You must also see that there are many paths leading from where you are to where you may wish to be…and that each destination we may reach is truly just the beginning of another journey not yet revealed rather than an end in and of itself that will stand forever against the test of time. 

...a River's End...can YOU see the difference...or is it but an ongoing adventure?

There may be many new beginnings during the accomplishment of a single objective – new starts from which opportunity blossoms – often many more than the destinations we seek (or reach) in our daily lives as each “end” is truly but a new beginning (there are very few “finalities” in life – death and taxes being two).  Each day dawns with a new beginning before concluding with the resting point of evening that allows us to prepare for another fresh start. Unless we choose to orchestrate the activities of our lives as they have always been conducted – expecting to receive only that which has always been provided – everything we do begins at a place we must ultimately leave.  We must start at the beginning of a song rather than its crescendo if we hope to move towards an end (which is often not determined until it has been achieved). 

Those who truly accomplish much in life tend to invoke a process of think, consider, apply and act more frequently than those that succumb to the “good enough as it is” or “why fix it unless it is broken” attitude. They see life as a series of new beginnings rather than of pre-determined and unavoidable ends – of fresh starts rather than foregone conclusions. While accomplishing a lot, they feel much has yet to be accomplished, finding joy in the ongoing process of discovery rather than satisfaction only in the results their discoveries may bring. While each of us should acknowledge that the “ends” often serve as resting points from which we can recharge, refocus, and redirect our efforts before seeking new destinations, we should also recognize them as fresh starts…partners within a process that lives upon the circumference of a circle having no beginning nor end but rather only ongoing completeness.