New Shoes

As the first page of a new chapter begins to loom, we aim to think with a fresh and open mind. Leaving the story from the last book behind in order to delve into the new plot with no baggage in order to fully become engrossed in what is yet to come. New characters, new settings, and new themes, it is a space of endless possibilities. Sometimes, the book isn’t what you expected, maybe the rise of a plot twist alters the ending you were longing for. But, the ending, even if sometimes substandard, fits with the book. Rather than wishing for a different story, just accept it, in order to move onto the next.

The key is change. You cannot go into reading a new book thinking about the protagonist of the previous. This will impact your engagement. What happened in chapter 5 of the previous book will not affect the present, and similarly, say for example, what happened this year in July, shouldn’t be allowed to have an impact on the potentials of this coming year. With change comes losses. Forcefully hanging onto something, may be holding onto something that shouldn’t be there. Picture an old pair of shoes; comfortable, dependable and get you from A to B. At some point, they become worn out and don’t provide you with the support you need, and at this stage, it may be time to invest in something new. Maybe these new shoes are a little less comfortable or don’t make you feel as good, it might be tempting to reach for the old pair as you know what to expect. However, if you don’t wear the new pair in, they will never adapt to you. At one time your old shoes were new, but the more you wore them the more comfortable they became. Change can be daunting at first, but preserving through the blisters although can sometimes be painful is vital. In the end, we all have to make sacrifices, and lose things that we were once attached to, but it is with this that comes the beginning of a new lifestyle.

To me, the cliché saying of “New Year New Me” is like listening to nails on a chalk board. Of course, the start of a new book is the perfect place to make new interpretations, but, I feel as though people place too much dependency on the new year as if it owes them something and is automatically the golden ticket to becoming this idealized person that can only be produced on January 1^st. Why strive to become a whole new you? At one point in your life you were dreaming to be in the position you are now, why not be content with the person you are and rather make changes to improve yourself based on the knock backs from the previous chapter?

So, to end, don’t keep going over the last page of the last book. Be open to the new events that are yet to come. Letting go is key to gaining. Put the old shoes back in the cupboard and work on the present, their potential and where they may take you is yet to be discovered. Improve on yourself, but don’t wish and compare yourself to others in hope that you can become someone that you aren’t. A revised edition is always good, but what sometimes may not be is a complete re branding.  

Thank you so much for reading and I wish you all a very happy New Year!