NEW BEGINNINGS

The start of something new is often the most daunting and difficult part of the process. Be it a new project, a new relationship, a marriage, a job, school, name it. Those first steps are usually the toughest.

I'm not suggesting for one second that after the initiation period it's all smooth sailing henceforth, and no effort is required to maintain what has been started. It takes a lot of hard work to keep up with any worthwhile undertaking, but I still think there's something peculiar about new beginnings.

I think the peculiarities arise from a combination of two things:
- the fear of the unknown, and

- the reluctance to leave one's comfort zone (Newton's first law of motion).

In the first case, because we do not know what the resultant effect of our effort is going to be, we're afraid to make a move. Questions like, 'What if I fail?', 'What if they reject me?', are typical.
We don't want to be embarrased or laughed at, and because of this many people refuse to take a chance, denying themselves the opportunity, sometimes, of a lifetime.
Rather than the pessimistic questions above, how about saying to yourself, 'What if I hold back and miss out on a great opportunity?'. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

In the second case, laziness sometimes robs people of great opportunities. The reasoning is, 'I'm doing just fine. Why aim higher?'. They settle into a rut and find it difficult to venture beyond the narrow parameters they've set for themselves. That's why people will remain in a dead-end job for years, with no job satisfaction, but refuse to make any attempt to pursue that dream business they've often thought about. Instead, they pacify themselves with lame cliches, 'A bird in hand is worth two in the bush!', 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!' While these sayings might be true in some situations, it's not always so!

I've found myself in this position on a number of occasions and I've found that I literally had to talk myself out of that destructive mindset. Change is daunting, but it can also be exciting, challenging and rewarding all at the same time. Besides, some change is inevitable no matter how much we try to resist it. So instead of fighting necessary change, let's embrace it whole-heartedly. Remember, fortune favours the bold.