The Courage to Begin Again

Beginning again sounds hopeful after enough time has passed. At first, it often feels like humiliation. We look at the pieces and think we should have known better, moved faster, or prevented the ending.

But a new beginning is not proof that the past was wasted. What ended taught us what we cannot accept, what we truly want, and how much we are able to survive.

Starting again rarely looks dramatic. It may be one email, one walk, one application, one honest conversation, or one morning when we finally stop checking whether the old door will reopen.

Courage is not feeling ready. It is deciding that readiness is allowed to arrive after the first step.