— Life —

NEW BEGINNINGS

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One of my favorite words is “beginning” because it conveys strength and hope. In the beginning everything is shiny and new. We’re brimming with good intentions and lots of can do attitude.

Beginning, again, is what our bodies do without our conscious awareness. With each new breath we refresh our brain and our other organs. It’s part of what God thoughtfully set in motion when He created man in His own image, and it’s one of the keys to our survival. Each breath is also an opportunity to start over, to forgive, to love, to learn, to let go of things that don’t serve us well and to consciously look for others that challenge and strengthen us. Each day brings the opportunity to recharge mentally and physically.

At the moment, my most important “beginning, again” is getting my flexibility back, something I lost after I started remodeling my house.

For months my house has been full of painters, plumbers and construction people who need my input. During part of that time I stopped going to the gym, something I’ve done on a regular basis since my 20’s. If that wasn’t bad enough, I slept on a blowup mattress because my bedroom was draped in plastic and covered with dust and grit. More recently I’ve been picking up puppies who weigh over 20 pounds apiece. My back has finally kicked me to the curb, but then I shouldn’t be surprised. I was asking for my back to go out.

This week I saw “Dr. Magic Hands.” She’s not a chiropractor but a PhD. in Biophysiology who repositioned the post anterior rotation of my pelvic bones. This is more than you want to know, but the IT band down my left leg, my left quadricep and both hamstrings are either out of alignment, have palpable knots or are as rigid as steel rods. My flexibility is seriously compromised, so each day I’m stretching to get back to where I was before I had this loss of self-preservation. My daily stretches were the last thing I thought I’d ever give up!

Regardless of whether we’re dealing with bad backs, depression, a serious illness or the loss of someone we love, what if we use each day as a new beginning? So you blow your diet today… So you blow it all week! That doesn’t mean you can’t start over with the next meal or the next day. New beginnings take commitment. They’re not a guarantee “this time” will be easier.

New beginnings come with the hope that we’ll encounter something with the power to change our lives, but that something is us! We are the ones with the power—and the opportunities God gives us—not a new job or a winning lottery ticket. With this breath and the next, what if we take this opportunity to begin, again? What areas of your life need a fresh start?

Love, Brenda

14 Comments

  • holly May 20, 2017 at 9:19 am

    You never disappoint! I am getting out my yoga matt right now……..

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:17 pm

      Hi Holly, I’m glad you find my blogs helpful!! Thanks so much, Brenda

  • Lindan May 20, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    Great article, Brenda! It can be applied in so many areas of our life. I’m pointing some younger people to this blog. They aren’t too young to hear these words! 🙂

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:19 pm

      Thanks, Linda! We’re all here to reach out and help one another. I appreciate it. Brenda

  • Mamavalveeta03 May 20, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    You’ve given me food for thought. It’s the ACTION part that I’m struggling with. “A new beginning…” It sounds so good.

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:23 pm

      Totally understand about the ACTION part, Val. What if every time we–I–complain about my bad back and how much everything hurts, we–I get down on the floor and stretch? Regardless of what we need to work on, we have lots of reminders that it’s a problem. We can either continue to complain, or we can use that moment as a friendly reminder to do something about it…. At least that’s my working theory! xoxox, Brenda

  • Kim alexis May 20, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    Love this article!!! Thank you!

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:24 pm

      Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Kim! xoxox, Brenda

  • Susanna Moyer May 20, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Thank you Brenda for such a wonderful article! I so needed it especially still feeling down from Mother’s Day.
    Xo,
    Susanna Moyer

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      Susanna, You have a bigger challenge than most of the rest of us… “New Beginnings” aren’t always easy to find, but I know you’re actively working on it. Sending my love, Brenda

  • Doreen McGettigan May 20, 2017 at 9:45 pm

    My back has been hurting, great timing with your words of wisdom. I’m off to stretch…

    • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 5:30 pm

      I’ll think of you, each day, as I’m trying to stretch out my painful back and tight hamstrings. It’s not easy, is it? Consistency is the key. xoxox, Brenda

  • Amanda May 23, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    I don’t know where to begin, really. But I found your blog about leaving your home and moving to an apartment and leaving the squirrels, and the synchronicity in my own life has led me to believe I was supposed to be contacting you. I’m just going with my intuition, I suppose. But if you feel drawn, please get back to me.

    My name is Amanda Appling, I’m a mother of 2 beautiful girls, a “stay at home-maker mom”, a cannabis enthusiast and supporter, an esoteric and occult obsessed metaphysical goddess. I am. I don’t know how to introduce myself because I’ll be honest with you, I don’t do it often. No one asks. No one seems to really care that I know anything else other than how to be a mom. Except a few people, who come to me for advice and guidance. They call me their “free therapy”. I don’t want to do it for free. I have to be taken care of by someone with money or else I won’t have anything. I am appreciative, but I am ready to do it on my own.
    I don’t know what I am trying to say or get across to you, all I know is I felt drawn to send this email. I just hope you feel drawn to reply and figure out more. I’m just hoping your synchronicities line up with mine!

    P.s. I found this particular article later, after I wrote this, and saw that you deal with the EXACT same problem with your hips. So that cant be coincidence. I’m in physical therapy as we speak, and I am only 26 years old.

    Always with Love,
    Amanda

  • 1010ParkPlace May 24, 2017 at 6:10 pm

    Hi Amanda, Thanks for reaching out. It’s been my experience that a high percentage of people are “me, me, me” focused. They’re not inclined to ask how you’re doing or want to know more about you because they’re so wrapped up in themselves. Please don’t take it personally when you say, “no one asks” about you. I encounter that a lot. It’s not a reflection of who you are, or are not, but very telling about them. Many people don’t look past “she’s the mom,” or “he’s the guy who works behind the counter at the drive-up window.” It speaks well for you that you have a few people who ask for your advice and guidance. Many people don’t have anyone who look up to them. It’s difficult, frustrating and lonely to be in that position because you don’t have anyone you can turn to for advice and guidance. Dishing out “free therapy” and not getting any in return can sometimes be a burden. I don’t know what your educational background is… whether you can be a counselor or therapist who gets paid. I do know that by getting involved on a volunteer basis or getting paid as an assistant to someone gets you out in the world, beyond the difficult job of being a mom, and can fill a number of voids in our lives. Without knowing more about you, I’m kind of at a loss about what to suggest as a next step for you. I will tell you that I smoked a lot of grass in my 20s. As I look back on that time, I just “thought” I was wise and had it all figured out when in reality, marijuana narrowed my world and kept me from seeing the big picture. I never thought I’d stop smoking dope, but in retrospect, it was one of the best things I did for myself. It was only then I saw things more clearly and had the motivation to make things happen in my life. Please write me, again, if you feel like it. xoxox, Brenda

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