Mark Conner Poetry

A New Beginning

Today is the beginning of a new day and a new week. Only a few days ago we experienced the beginning of a new month and the second half of the year. I love beginnings, so pregnant with potential and so full of opportunity. What adventure awaits!

Recently, I came across this poem by John O’Donohue called ‘For a New Beginning’. I hope you find it as inspiring as I did. Here’s to the transforming power of new beginnings!

For a New Beginning

“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.

For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.

It watched you play with the seduction of safety
And the gray promises that sameness whispered,
Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent,
Wondered would you always live like this.

Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.

Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.

Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will be home in a new rhythm
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”

From John O’Donohue’s Bless the Space Between Us.

Mark Conner Soul Food

Soul Food Episode 20 – Beginnings

Hi friends. Welcome to this week’s edition of Soul Food.

Last week we chatted about endings. Today, lets talk about beginnings.

When you’re beginning something new, there’s often a sense of excitement and enthusiasm. But at the same time, everything can feel a little awkward. We’re in unfamiliar territory. We feel somewhat tentative, uncertain, and even nervous. 

I had all of those feelings when I began a new season in my life just 4 years ago. I had finished up 32 years of employment in one place and now I was beginning again … for the first time in a long time. It was both scary and exhilarating. It felt like a step, or a jump, into the great unknown!

What’s beginning for you right now? What’s new? 

Obviously, a new year has begun, but what else? Is it a new job, a new relationship, a new home, a new project, or a new book you’re reading? Or is it a new perspective, a new environment, or maybe a new habit or routine you are hoping to establish? 

Another question – what needs to begin for you? Is it time to start something new or BE someone new? There are times in life where we need a reset, a re-orientation, or a reboot. It’s time to begin … all over again. You can do this … have courage to take that step … then keep walking.

Here are a few tips for embracing beginnings well:

  1. Be patient with yourself. When things are new, there will be uncertainty. Give yourself time to adjust to everything that is feeling unfamiliar to you right now. You are moving out of your comfort zone – that’s uncomfortable! 
  1. Embrace a childlike curiosity. Children have this beautiful sense of wonder as they approach each moment of their day. Everything is new and fresh and they are seeing and experiencing things for the first time. Choose wonder. 
  1. Be open to new experiences. Beginnings provide opportunity for seeing things differently, for change, and for growth. Even if you have a lot of knowledge and experience, lay aside your prejudices and judgments. Have an open mind for insights you haven’t seen before.

Remember books that used to begin with, “Once upon a time …” and so the story starts … OR “In the beginning …” and a new world comes into being. 

All the best with everything that is beginning for you right now!

Let’s recap our main points:

  1. Life is filled with many new beginnings. 
  2. Beginnings can be both exhilarating and scary. 
  3. Be patient with yourself when you are beginning something new.
  4. Embrace a sense of childlike curiosity and wonder.

That’s all for today. See you next week when we talk about those scary/exciting in-between times.

You can watch the video of this episode on the Soul Food YouTube Channel.