Typically, after we’ve already covered some ground the last thing we want to do is to start over. And it’s true life changes us and so we can never truly go back to the beginning. But, inasmuch as we’re different, there’s still wisdom in occasionally starting over again.
To be sure, there’s a sense in which every new day brings us a fresh new start. Our successes and failures of yesterday are in the rearview mirror and we now have to decide again what to do with the time given to us today.
At the same time, we often need greater intentionality in starting over throughout our life and relationships.
For instance, after years on a job we might need to start over – not necessarily to find a new job, but rather to remember why we’ve been called to do the work that we do. It’s starting over in the sense of returning back to our original desires, passions, and motivations for our work.
Likewise, even after years of marriage it’s often helpful to start over – returning back to our first love with each other. This might mean dating each other again as if for the first time – discovering anew our souls in this season of life. And while we might resume many of the activities we enjoyed early in dating, starting over also gives us the freedom to discover altogether new ways to connect with each other.
Whatever it looks like, starting over doesn’t always mean a setback. Many times it’s our way forward as we reestablish and secure the foundation important to us. And without this reset we might find ourselves suffocating on unintended paths.
Keep moving and don’t give up. But remember sometimes starting over is the best path forward.
Photo by Jim Wilson on Unsplash
