And so I choose to begin again
And so I choose to begin again
It's time to take your power back from your thoughts.
I'm behind on my podcasting schedule. :(
A few months ago, I would have given convinced myself to stop because what's the point if I can't do something on time and create a story in my head to convince myself to stop.
But not this time. This time, I remind myself of the idea of beginning again, which I learned through my meditation practice. The idea to begin again comes up as I meditate and get distracted and lost in the thought. I go where the thought takes me, but then a sound will wake me up from the thought that held of me, and I begin again by bringing my focus to my breathing.
The same thing happens as I work, and I get distracted by a thought and follow it until suddenly I am reminded of what I was doing and then move my attention back to begin again what I was doing in the first place.
As I am feeling a bit behind on my podcast schedule, the usual conversation in my head would have gone something like this:
Inner critic: "You're behind on your schedule again! It's too late, you should just give up!"
Old Rizwan: "You've got a point. Maybe I just don't have the skills to creates podcasts."
Inner critic: "Even if you worked on it, people are going to call you out and think Rizwan doesn't know what he is doing."
Old Rizwan: "Yeah, you're right, it's just easier to give up. I'll just try my luck at something else."
Old Rizwan was falling into a typical pattern of giving up on something important for him. The new Rizwan, however, has learned to begin again, and now the conversation goes like this:
Inner critic: "You're behind on your schedule again! It's too late. You should just give up!"
New Rizwan: "Yes, I may be a bit behind on my schedule but I love creating podcasts, and just as I have learned to bring my attention back during my meditation sessions to begin again, I will begin again and work on my podcast. I will not give up!"
New Rizwan is now free to begin again without any feelings of judgment or shame that used to haunt him and stop any progress from happening.
This idea of beginning again can be applied in all parts of our lives. It helps us break free from the stories we tell ourselves and play out in our heads. We can begin again instead of hanging on to the past. We can begin again with mistakes we make and resolve to become better the next time instead of accepting fate.
Beginning again brings us back into the present moment where we can take action instead of overthinking.
Beginning again gives our power back to us instead of our thoughts.
Beginning again opens doors for us instead of locking them up forever.
Each moment is an opportunity to begin again and become alive to enjoy the beauty within and around us.
So next time you think it's too late to do something and feel like giving up, begin again with the smallest step forward and see how this mindset shift can unlock you to help you achieve your goals.
As always, stay strong! 💜
I can’t count the number of things I’ve started and stopped. I think for me it’s less about doubt and external perceptions, but instead the precious, elusive commodity of TIME. So many of us are in the mid-point of our careers, raising young families, fighting physical signs of aging, trying to maintain some assemblance of a social life…we simply can’t do it all. And sometimes, when moments of that precious commodity present themselves, we try something. And we should! And those things that you spend your time on should be things that make YOU happy. Let any positive affect on others be a bonus. If it makes you happy, you win. Give yourself grace when your time slips away. Someday we will be retired and our kids will be grown and gone…then there will be no excuse to stop the things that bring you joy :)