Let’s Talk: New Beginnings

Latina McIntyre

January 16, 2021

Life is full of unusual changes and journeys that affect people in different ways. I like to think of life’s voyages as seasons that change with various weather patterns, bringing new beginnings or a brand new start. Just as spring brings new plants, flowers, and beautiful scenery. Then fall brings colorful leaves, bare trees, and a little breeze in the air. Let’s take a closer look at some ways to turn a new leaf.

Many people wait until a New Year to make a new beginning or set a new resolution, but new beginnings can start at any time and can be as simple as a new hairstyle or as complex as changing your career path. One journey that we all share in common is the beginning of a New Year and progress toward ending this pandemic.

New beginnings can be scary, but they can also be rewarding. Many life changes are new beginnings, including the birth of a child or grandchild, weddings, graduations, new careers, and other tangible events.

Some people may view a new home or location, or a new personal relationship, as a new beginning. No matter what you consider to be a new beginning, one common factor people look for is a positive outcome. Is the change a positive asset in your life? Does the new beginning bring you joy and happiness? Will it help you progress and grow?

We all prefer new beginnings that are strategically beneficial and distinctly defined. Here are some tips that will ensure that your new beginnings are positive and enlightening.

Review the advantages and disadvantages.
Develop a clear and precise action plan to implement the new beginning.
Prepare for any external setbacks or unexpected distractions.
Prepare your mind and body for the change or new beginning.
Consider joining a support group or asking for assistance from professional colleagues.
Be aware that you own the rights to your new beginnings.

Most importantly, be aware that you are embarking on a new journey, a new beginning — be confident, healthy, motivated. It’s your journey and no one else’s. There is no wrong way to launch a new journey — you hold the key to your success. Remember — you can always start over or tailor your fresh start to what meets your needs and is suitable for your lifestyle.

In addition, the sooner you embark on a new beginning, the closer you are to your reward. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Just do it!

Latina McIntyre

Latina McIntyre, a United States Air Force veteran and proud graduate of Bellevue University, is inspired by making a positive impact in our youth’s community and lives. She is a former special education teacher and a civil service administrator. She loves hiking, camping, writing, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Latina McIntyre

In the know

The Case for Chocolate

How is it mothers always know what’s going on behind their backs, especially when it’s something naughty? I loved sugar as a small child. When no one was looking, I’d get into the sugar bowl. There usually wasn’t much activity or supervision in the dining room, and the sugar bowl tempted me. I would use the spoon in the bowl to scoop up the sugar and put it in my mouth, and then wait in bliss while it slowly dissolved on my tongue. Evidently this was very naughty, and my mother always knew. It took me a long time to find out how. The spoon was sterling silver, a souvenir

Taking Action

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long,you miss them.” ~ William Arthur Ward This year has me wondering — is there more? More to life perhaps? More I can do? More I want to do? Many of us have had more downtime in the past year that we’ve ever had before. Lots of thinking time, lots of planning time. We all know that time is not finite, but when life comes to a jarring halt as it did in 2020, maybe it’s time to reassess what we want the rest of our lives to be. Most will probably want more travel, more family, more normal. This time of

Dogs Riding in Cars

I suspect it may be the reason most dogs keep us around. We can drive cars … and trucks and motorhomes and motorcycles. And, as a result, we can seemingly create the very wind itself. To the senses of dogs riding in cars, I suspect it seems we can also somehow make all the best smells float on the air at once, with a cacophony of new and familiar sounds intertwined and changing every few seconds. We magically bring farms with fields of horses into view before they dash past us with glorious speed. We find new people to watch walking and riding bikes, and other dogs to call out

Why I Love Daffodils

There is something magical about daffodils. The mere shape of the flower seems to trumpet the arrival of spring, announcing something new and exciting. Imagine March in the Lowcountry with a sea of yellow daffodils covering a yard that stretches all the way down to the banks of Abbapoola Creek. My grandmother Lou would sit on the green porch swing and watch her grandchildren de-daffodil her yard. I can still hear the rhythmic creaking of the chains from the old swing — it almost sounded like a familiar song. She loved watching us pick every flower but there was always another prized daffodil hidden in her yard. The goal was