Let’s Begin…

We’re already halfway through the year, so I guess now is the perfect time to talk about beginnings!

Yes, I’m joking… but still. It’s funny how we wait until New Year’s Eve to talk about change, and how we plan to better ourselves, when we should be looking for new opportunities every day. 

Believe it or not, you don’t have to make a long list of empty promises to yourself in order to experience a change in your habits and life.

You also don’t have to move to some big city or out into the countryside to get a fresh start. Smaller events happen in our lives all the time that give us an opportunity to try new things—and sometimes we don’t even realize it.

But perhaps the real question is, why are we so obsessed with starting over? With rewriting our lives?

Writing Life

spoiler alert

As a writer, I really enjoy writing stories. When I first started writing a few years ago, I found it difficult to focus on only one story at a time. As I worked on one, I’d have so many ideas for another, and eventually, I’d switch and start writing the newest, shiniest idea.

I’d get 10-25,000 words into a story before deciding to start over with a newer—better idea. Because who knew? Maybe this newest idea would be the one I actually finished.

My lack of discipline really bothered me, but I kept telling myself that I’d finish writing a story just as soon as I’d found the right story to write.

Spoiler alert: I never found the right story.

Restart

But I enjoyed starting over. Every story I started held hope, excitement, and potential. And that was what I really wanted.

It didn’t seem as though there was much I could do when my life felt stale, boring, and pointless. But when writing stories I could start from the beginning. Rewrite anything I wanted.

If you had the chance to rewrite your life the way you wanted it to be, would you?

I’m tempted to say yes, but I have a feeling that even if I did, I still wouldn’t be satisfied with it.

I’d want to rewrite my life over and over again as I got better ideas, just like with my fictional stories.

How To Find Hope When You Can’t Reset

But if new beginnings symbolize hope, excitement, and potential, then we should be finding that in our everyday lives. Right?

I’ll definitely be writing more blogs on the subject of changing habits and finding hope and excitement in your life in the future, but these three particular points were on my mind today.

#1 Fill Up Your Calendar

If you’re looking for excitement, then why not schedule it in?

Meet with friends, go out to eat, or plan an evening to watch your favorite movie while eating your favorite snacks. 

Give yourself things to look forward to. At first, it might not seem like a big deal, but you may find that having special plans makes you more excited about life.

#2 Look In God’s Word

Romans 15:13 ESV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Spend time in prayer and read your bible. Read and remember the promises he’s made. The ways he wants to bless us. God is the best source of hope. He sees our potential and has amazing things in store for us. Ask him and look for his guidance, and he’ll show you!

#3 Surprise Yourself

Sometimes it takes writing a story to teach someone a lesson about life, and that’s how it’s been with me. When I write, I learn more about the world around me than the world within the story I’m writing.

story

Any interesting story you may read, watch, or write, usually has one thing in common.

The beginning of the story shows what life is normally like for the character/s, and how it changes due to some abnormal event. Maybe they meet someone new, or something happens that launches them off on some adventure or quest.

The same is true in our own lives (even if it isn’t quite as dramatic).

Try something new! Of course, your safety is important. So if you always walk home one way because it’s safer, I’m not suggesting you go the other way next time or something like that. 

But even if it’s something as small as ordering a dish you’ve never tried before at your favorite restaurant, or picking up a new hobby or instrument, you may find you enjoy breaking the monotony life sometimes holds.

Solving The Problem

As for starting stories and never finishing, I’ll be sharing how I overcame that problem in next week’s blog. So stay tuned!

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Before You Go…

What do you do to make your life more exciting?

Tell me in the comments below!

Click here to read last week’s blog.

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