Day 224 (Two-Hundred & Twenty-Four) of 365 days

We can start over in multiple instances and multiple scenarios. Maybe you’re starting over at a new job, a new home, a new relationship, a breakup, etc. However necessary, starting over can be especially terrifying. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all felt it. So here’s to you, the one who is starting over.

To the Person Starting Over, Starting over doesn’t mean you failed or that you’ve somehow fallen behind. It simply means you came to the realization, however grueling the process was, that where you were was no longer where you wanted to be. Maybe it wasn’t a physical place or maybe it was, regardless, you stepped up, took control, and moved forward. And for that, you should be proud of yourself. Some people spend their entire lives existing in uncomfortable situations. You chose to start over and start living.

There will be bad days. Days when you cry yourself to sleep, break down over your morning coffee, or on your commute to work. There will be days when you question if you made the right choice if you’re making the right choices, and what you did to ever deserve the hell that you’ve gone through. But, for every bad day, there will be a good one. Maybe you get reacquainted with an old friend, find a new hobby that you love, start a new job, etc. For every setback you feel, there will be an accomplishment — even if it’s something mundane like dressing up and going out. There will be fights, those who never wanted to be left behind will suddenly have a newfound interest in the life you lead without them and while it’s okay to look back, you’ll be much happier with what’s to come. You’ll find out who your true friends are, the ones who will drive to your house just to hug you or bring over your favorite meal, and you’ll find out who the not so true friends are — the ones who will forget you exist until they realize they need something from you — life is all about balance, right?

You can’t change everything all at once, either, and there are some things you’ll never be able to change. But things will get better if you take it all one step at a time. I just hope you keep in mind that the best changes start on the inside. After all, you’ve been through, I know you can get through this too. You have it in you. You have everything you need, within you. I get it, it seems like this shouldn’t be happening to you. It shouldn’t be so hard. But in truth, “should” is a pretty useless word when you’re looking to the past. We can’t change what’s already happened. We only have power in the present moment: the power to choose, the power to love, the power to start over.

I wrote this to someone who’s struggling to change their life and trying to start all over. Maybe, it’s for you, or maybe it’s for someone you know too. The person you’ve always wanted to be is waiting for you. The person you’ve always wanted to be is ready for you. Take more deep breaths. Listen to your heart. Trust yourself. Have compassion for the things in your life that hurt to look at.