We celebrate our firsts because they feel full of possibility, but the truth is every moment holds the same potential for hope, curiosity, and gentle transformation. When we choose embracing new beginnings over judgment and fear, we rediscover our strength and remember that growth is always available right where we are.
In the west, and possibly across the globe, we have a deeply romantic relationship with “first” milestones. The first cry of a baby is the loud horn at the beginning of a race. The first word a child utters with understanding is the beginning of language. First steps are the start of our independent journey. Boundless learning begins on the first day of school. A first kiss simmers with anticipation of a relationship that may grow. A wedding, the first stride into a bond that will last forever. The first child, and the cycle continues. Moments like these remind us why embracing new beginnings feels so powerful, because each first opens a space where hope shines brighter than fear.
Not all of us will encounter this same stream of firsts. Each of our lives is a unique experience tailored to guide us on specific paths. And often, the watershed moments that follow our beginnings are not the happily ever after that we had expected. Still, even for those who have felt the greatest losses, even for the most cynical among us, deep inside lives a flicker of wonder and endearment toward first moments. And why? Because the beginning is full of possibility. The weight of the past is forgotten, even if just for one moment. The opening of what could come is too substantial to share space with fear. Curiosity and hope shine too brightly for us to acknowledge the shadow of doubt.
Even as life grows more complicated, there is always room for embracing new beginnings by meeting ourselves with curiosity instead of judgement.
Sadly, these moments can be fleeting. Doubt and fear are like weeds in our garden of life. They work below the surface and take for themselves the nutrients that our hope and curiosity use to grow. Lately I find myself often reminding people, directly or indirectly, to approach themselves with curiosity instead of judgement. Just a simple step from “Ugh! Why do I always do that?!” to “Huh? I wonder why I keep doing that?” Because, what if this moment, right now, was as full of possibility as your last first milestone? And what if who and where you are right now, with all your flaws and all of life’s challenges, is exactly who and where you are supposed to be to start an incredible adventure?
Transformation and growth are two of my favorite words. Like “first”, they are filled with possibility. I am a firm believer that we are all works in progress, and progress does not allow for expectations of perfection or long periods of stagnation. No one climbs off a couch and runs a half marathon with potato chip crumbs flying off of their greasy face and fingers. And no one completes a half marathon by lying on their couch, scoffing at or envying the runners. A work in progress takes work. Babies aren’t born walking. And no one would expect it of them.
For all of us, two things need to happen before taking your first step, whether it is figurative or physical. First you need to accept and love where you are. You are not a walker… not yet. You need to be comfortable starting with a crawl. Have fun with it! Discover a crumb or crack on the floor that the walkers can’t see. Cultivate gratitude for the parts of you that can’t yet walk. If you can’t do that, then you won’t have the strength for the second part. And the second part is to believe. Believe that you are capable. Every time you fall, take a moment to comfort yourself, and try again. Have fun with it! Find new ways to get back up and new sensations in each attempted footstep.
When we soften into the idea of embracing new beginnings, we remember that every moment carries the same potential as the milestones we celebrate.
Our watershed, milestone firsts do not have to be the only moments that we live for or that we celebrate. This very moment, this very breath, is full of wonder and worth celebration. What if you knew that you are perfect and deeply loved, just as you are? What if you were certain that the path ahead of you was paved with good fortune? What if there was no doubt that your strength and potential were endless? The spark that we feel with a first kiss isn’t just a physical, chemical reaction. In that moment, our entire being is filled with hope. It’s the hope that engulfs us when we hear a child’s first cry. It’s the hope that overwhelms us with all of our romanticized first moments. It’s the hope that we are truly in love with. I invite you to submerge yourself in that same hope each and every day; to not wait for the milestones. I invite you to live as if you know, even when you fall, that you are the very picture of strength and potential; that your life is filled with the hope of boundless possibility. Because, my dear friend, I promise you that it is.
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