New Beginnings

New beginnings. A lot of times they're associated with the new year or with a big change in life. It isn't January, so there are no fireworks or midnight toasts. I also haven't experienced what most people would consider to be a big change in lifestyle. In fact, you can say that I'm pretty much the same person I was this time last year.

A few weeks ago I was taking a look at my new year's resolutions that I wrote some time back in January 2017. I had quite a list that included a variety of goals, including drinking more water, reading more books and learning how to code. I realized I hadn't really accomplished them like I expected to. That's not so unusual though, is it? How many people have the same resolutions year after year but still end up feeling as if they have fallen short? My guess would be that we've all done that at least once in life. I'm clearly no different.

But that doesn't mean that it's too late to change. More than halfway through the year, I find myself wanting more out of the limited time I have in this life. Most of all, I am wanting to take care of myself more. I'm wanting to do what I want more, instead of doing what people expect me to do. I want to make myself a top priority. It's never been in my nature to "be selfish." I've always wanted to give more than I receive, especially when it came to my time and energy. But people often say that you can't pour from an empty cup. That's what I have been doing, and it has exhausted me. It's time to change that.

I've wanted to have a place where I can share my writing more openly, where I can speak my mind and share it with the world. There was a time when I thought that sharing who I am and begin on a stage bigger than my little town was completely futile. Who would want to hear from me? Did my voice even matter? I'm learning that it doesn't matter because I'm not telling my story for applause, critics, an audience. I'm telling my story for me. This is my new beginning that I am choosing to take on right now.