I recently had the pleasure of leading a workshop for a corporate organization –  a wonderful group of young dedicated entrepreneurs. I asked their district manager what she would like the workshop's theme to be, and she replied, "Fresh Beginnings." I loved the title, and the more I worked with it, its' meaning grew on me. 

While every day we awake is a "fresh new beginning," it is more often just another day. What a blessing, a miracle each day really is, when we pause long enough to let that sink in, when we give ourselves the freedom and space to reclaim the joy in living. 

The past few years have felt like being thrown in a washing machine stuck on the spin cycle, not knowing what comes next, but we keep spinning, like it or not. 

When life throws us the really big curveballs, we are forced to reevaluate the direction of our lives. When the pause button is pressed for us, it can be a golden opportunity to listen to the still voice within, your inner knowing, your truth. In that place, we can come to terms with the challenges and all the pieces of our life that we are ready to reclaim.

With any new beginning, there is first an ending. Before we can enter a new season, we must first let go; release the worry and the fear so that we can make room for what's possible in this new moment. 

The worry and fear keep us stuck on the spin cycle. Sometimes we need to press the pause button long enough to open our eyes to a new cycle – to acknowledge fresh beginnings available in this moment. 

I am not in the spin cycle anymore. I am here, and so are you. While the past is a part of us, separating the past from the present is also vital. Living with the past is like trying to swim with tennis shoes on – they fill with water and weigh you down like an anchor. Wouldn't it feel nicer to drop the anchor and sail the currents of life, to rise with the ebb and flow, to honor your innermost strength, trust in your inner wisdom, resilience and how far you've come?

It is undeniably freeing to release the past and receive the gift of what's to come. Remembering the future comes one day at a time and that NOW is all that ever matters. Finding joy in the present moment is our birthright and often forgotten when we allow the constant noise of the external world to dominate our lives. 

Let this be a reminder, a friendly invitation to step back, take some slow, deep breaths and remember that everything you need is already within you.

Imagine the beautiful lotus flower deeply rooted in the mud and its transformation above the surface. The lotus symbolizes strength, empowerment and rebirth. When we choose to open the petals that surround our hearts, it is a reminder that you and I have a fresh beginning each day we awaken.

We cannot live our lives stuck on the spin cycle. The choice is ours, the choice to embrace the fresh beginnings, rise with the ebb and flow and soften with the transformation.

Let's celebrate new beginnings!