A fresh start can be initiated by a big change in your life. But it can also come from something that at first seems really small. Something that gives your life a new twist and makes it new and different.
Fresh start and change
Sometimes you may feel the need to make a major change such as moving or finding a new job. Something that gives you an opportunity to get a fresh start so you can start anew in a different context. It is certainly not bad to do so, but sometimes you may not need a big change in the external circumstances to be able to experience life in a new way.
New energy from change?
Some people have a greater need for change than others. It has to do with our personality. Some are more outgoing and are stimulated by a lot of activity and new contacts. They find it exciting with new environments and new people. Others prefer a more quiet life and struggle a bit when they are faced with new situations and many different people. One is not better than the other. We’re just different. What is interesting to you and your well-being is to respect yourself enough to do what makes you feel good. No matter what others think of it.
Invisible change
There is also a more subtle way to change your life. Change that is not seen or felt so much externally. But this is really where the big things happen. Because it really doesn’t matter how many changes you make in your external life if you think and feel exactly the same under the surface.
Think in a new way
The brain is an amazing device. It can learn a lot of things, but it can also keep us stuck in thoughts that we would rather not have. Apparently there is a function in the brain that makes it repeat itself. If you think about something for 17 seconds, the brain automatically delivers a new thought on the same theme. So if you notice that your mind is going in a direction that you don’t like, it is important to stop it before it gains momentum. You can do this by, for example, getting up and walk around a bit, get yourself a glass of water, open a window and take a deep breath, put on a song you like etcetera. Once you have broken that chain of thoughts you can calmly and thoughtfully choose what you want to think about. What makes you feel good when you think about it?
React in a new way
Life can also change for the better if you try to step out of your normal way of reacting. Just like our thoughts, many of our reactions come quickly and automatically. It is practical sometimes but can also keep us stuck in a loop where we repeat the same behaviour over and over. For example, if you have a habit of getting in a bad mood when faced with recurring things that you cannot change, you will have very many reasons to get in a bad mood. This could for instance apply to negative feelings about the weather, traffic or media.
Do you want to let your automatic reactions decide how you feel or do you want to decide for yourself?
Beginner’s mind
There is a technique that comes from Buddhism called the “beginner’s mind”. It is about meeting every situation as if it is the first time you experience it. Instead of reacting as you usually do, you try to be neutral, open and curious. To really be present and experience a situation as it is right now and not as it “usually is” opens up opportunities that actually makes the situation appear in a new way. And isn’t it much more exciting to experience life than to just react to it? Maybe your life takes a new turn just from that.