I've asked myself many times since the divorce, "What does it mean to start over?"
I don't know the full answer, but I have come to understand some of what that entails.
The first part is letting go. I had heard this so often that it seemed cliche, and I resisted fully accepting what it meant for me.
As with many aspects of my life, I had to experience this the hard way. I was forced to let go of every part of my past: financially, materially, emotionally, past relationships and even of friends and family.
So much of who I thought I was suppose to be was stripped away by events and circumstances to the point where I literally felt emptied. But it wasn't until I reached this emptiness that I was ready to move forward; to let my life begin to fill again.
The next part is being open and accepting to how ever you are being filled. New opportunities for friendships, career or business, ways of thinking and romance start to flow with a willingness to be open. For a long time, I was trying to fit my old ways into a new world and reality, thus extending my pain. Worse yet, I found myself afraid of making mistakes, which is the third part.
You're not starting over; you're starting from here and you're moving forward. This means you accept the mistakes you have made, you try not to repeat them, and you allow yourself to make all new ones no matter how colossal!
Doing this, I've been able to experiment but remain true to my nature. The results are mixed ... but that's what experimenting is all about! Most importantly for me is that I'm interested in living life and I'm looking forward to it.
So go ahead, let go and dare yourself to live! Embrace your new world and how you are filled; you just have to start.
How about you? Have you officially gotten excited about starting over?
