Beginnings

I love beginnings.

I love reading the first page of a book and starting on a new journey.

I love starting a new TV show and getting hooked in the first few episodes.

I love applying for a program or job with the hopes and promise of what could be.

But, you know what the hardest part of anything is?

The beginning.

The starting.

Taking the leap of faith to actually do the thing that you want.

Because I tend to let my head fill with doubts and worries and fears. Fears of the unknown. Fear of what could be.

For many years, I thought I had a fear of failure. I've recently found that it's success I'm afraid of.

Success means sacrifice. It requires time. It means leaving the safety of your comfort zone and everything you've known to create something new.

Beginnings can be awkward or just plain tough.

But, the beautiful thing about beginnings? It's a chance to start over. A chance to make that project anything you want it to be. A time to reinvent yourself. A time to go back to the drawing board and figure out what it is that you want. Or experiment until you know.

So, yeah...I love beginnings. They're hard. It's also the sweet spot. The times that you'll look back on thirty years from now and smile, because that's where it all happened. Those are the moments that you didn't give up. The moments you fought for what you wanted. The moments you believed the best, even when you couldn't see the entire picture. The moments that you were brave. It won't come without a lot of "blood, sweat and heartbeats" as Kelsea Ballerini says.

But, it will be the thing that gets you to the mountaintop. The finish line. It will be the moments that see you to the movie premieres, the songs on the radio, the office with the great view of New York City. All of those things wait on the other side of the waking up early. The list making. The long hours. The cry breaks in the bathroom. The venting to friends.

I have to believe that the someday will be worth all of these moments I've gone through.

~Shelby

#beginnings #life #thoughts