Beginnings & Endings: The Rhythm of Wholeness Life's Endings Make Way For New Beginnings

It's admittedly kind of lame that I am pulling the "beginnings" card on the first day of a new year but it's my blog and I can do what I want, even be lame if that's what I choose!  :)  Last year, when the 365 focus was different, I also did something on beginnings.  Just call me predictable.  But doesn't the first day of a new set of 365 days make *you* think of beginnings?  Well regardless. I am grateful for beginnings.  They provide us with fresh chances to do things differently.  They give us new opportunities, new relationships, perhaps even new life.  The beginning of something is always a bit painful at first.  You have to settle into new things and figure out what needs to begin.  But once you do that the beginning of something holds a sweetness that is enhanced by people and experiences.  Sometimes beginnings are tough and not so sweet, and sometimes they never turn sweet.  I'm still grateful for even those because I ...

Start by doing what is necessary, then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.   St. Francis of Assisi The talk of "just begin" isn't new to this 365.  I've already talked about it quite a bit but us humans have the worst memories.  We just can't seem to remember the really important stuff for long.  So here we are again at a variation of "just begin".   No baby I know has ever started just walking.  There's a reason for the phrase "baby steps".  That doesn't apply to just babies, it applies to anything in life we are learning to begin.  We take small "baby" steps forward.  We learn to get our legs underneath us, our balance right, and then our steps get bigger and bigger as we practice.  We begin to walk with more confidence as we continue to be faithful to take the steps.  Assisi has it right - "baby steps" are what is necessary, getting our legs and balance working together are what i...

Begin.  It may appear complex but you can see the way: begin.  Simply begin.   Mary Anne Radmacher I have a problem with beginning things that feel, look, and truly are overwhelming and complex for me.  And what overwhelms me is probably not what overwhelms others.  We all have those things that tend to make our heart rates rise, our hands get clammy, and our minds spin and go nowhere productive.  Traveling is my most recent overwhelming and complex thing.  I get myself WORKED up about packing and about all the logistics.  And yes, I know how to pack well - especially for overseas etc.  But I still get overwhelmed and I don't, I can't, begin.  So what happens?  I'm frantically packing last minute and having to make unnecessary runs to the store for things I procrastinated on because I was feeling stuck.  If I would just begin.  Even if, in the case of packing for a trip, it means opening up my suitcase and placing...

Begin, simply begin.   Mary Anne Radmacher The first step to anything is this.  To just begin.  Dive in.  Don't wait until the time is right, the finances are right, the mood is right, the stars have aligned how you want them to, the weather is cooperating, "I'll start Monday", and any other reason you can come up with to begin.  Just simply begin.  If you don't, if I don't, then we run the risk of never beginning at all.