I saw the street sign at a time in my life when I was lost and spending my days soul searching.  Photography allowed me to look at each moment on a deeper level, observing more than doing.  I don’t know exactly why I took a picture of the begin sign.  But what is clear, there was significance in that moment.

I was clearly beginning again.  I had been forced to give up on an idealistic vision of my life and accept a new way of living.  And I was not sure how or if it was even possible.

As last year came to a close, I once again had a sense of being forced into a state of acceptance.  Accepting that time in the last decade was running out, and with it my dreams and hopes for great accomplishment within that timeframe were soon to dissolve.

With resignation in my heart, I posed the question, “What now?”  And I proceeded to ruminate over that question for weeks.

It has now become clear.  It’s time to begin again.  Begin afresh and anew.

And that means here, where I am.

Where I thought I would or should be is of no consequence to this opportunity to begin.  A foundation has been built from past efforts.  The groundwork has been developed.  I began this labor of love two years ago with no more than a simple desire to share my writing in a public forum.  It has moved my heart in directions I never imagined possible.  Yet I am still on the ground floor and there is so much work yet to be done.

From this point, I know there’s a climb.  But the sooner I begin, the farther I can go.

I will not let the fear of what lies ahead of me dampen my enthusiasm or my resolve to take that first step from here…where I am today.

With that I invite you all to join me in the following resolve.  “It’s up to me.  And it’s up to you.  To begin wherever you are.”  

Believe In New Beginnings.

As this new year begins, please join me in believing.  We can change old habits that don’t serve us well, practice moderation and learn balance, as well as embrace the simplicity of life with deep appreciation.  It is possible.

Hope brings me to a place I have not been before.  A place that seems brighter, more forgiving, and filled with love’s light.

A lack of acceptance and control over outside circumstances interrupted last year’s journey and sidelined my aspirations.  I was grateful to have wandered down a hope building path prior to unexpectedly facing the possibility of losing my mother to stage 4 cancer. The pressure of walking beside her through chemotherapy treatments brought me to my knees, weeping with emotional exhaustion. 

Furthermore, I lost the ability to focus on the things I could control and make sound choices from the best of me.  The worst of me took over slowly and insidiously beneath the surface of my resolve undermining my efforts and plans for the year.

However, I still learned and grew. We may not be able to choose the events that come our way, yet we do have the power to choose how we move forward.  Getting knocked down is only part of the equation.  It’s the “getting back up” that matters.  Which brings me to you.

Believe You Matter.

When I began writing my ebook with this title, I didn’t realize that our society was already wrapping itself around these two words.  You can read them everywhere, on clothing, on school website tags, on billboards.  Two simple words repeated more than ever, today. Yet, how many of us actually believe this to our core.

What this means is…You actually matter.  Your story matters.  Your life on this planet matters.  And when we feel that we don’t matter, our behaviors are nothing short of damaging.

In the various posts of the past two years, I have alluded to “my story. I am working on publishing an ebook in a few months with a revised title to share even more.

In the meantime, I will be posting snippets from the raw writing process weekly on my blog.  I am taking my writing from the kitchen to the proverbial mountain.  That is my commitment to the new year and all of you who have taken the time to read this post.  I truly appreciate you all.

Also if you would like to be part of my Art and Heart – Inspiring Creativity insiders tribe, please look for the sign up shown below for a gift and e-book first looks delivered into your inbox.

Here’s to the climb!

Onward and upward,

Erika

©Erika K Rothwell