Every day is a new beginning.

I challenge you to take that tried and true, clichéd saying and throw it in the trash (along with all your live, laugh, love wall art) and start a dumpster fire. If 2020 taught me anything, it was that life is a beautiful blending of your own evolution. For instance, I evolved from only wearing pajamas at breakfast, to wearing them at lunch also, and occasionally sporting them at the dinner table. But seriously, we all evolved and morphed our standard routine into something that pieced itself together as the “new normal.” We didn’t start each day as a new beginning, we woke up and continued on.

As a writer, I certainly do not wake up every day and stare at a blank screen. Instead, I wake up and pick up where I left off. Sure, I make little edits here and there, but it’s a continuation of a larger story that flows from one chapter to the next…it evolves.

As writers, creators, parents, partners, humans…we must be gentle with ourselves. We must not put a hard stop and start on each day with the expectation that we start over. We must evolve- pick up where we left off, see what needs changing, and morph and grow into the next day. The beauty is in the evolution- in the artist’s journey.

There is something innately stressful in the notion of starting a new beginning each and every day. So instead of starting over, this year I’m challenging you to B.E.A.R. with it.

B-E-A-R

Be gentle with yourself. You don’t have to conquer the world one day at a time. You have the past that molded you, the future to drive you, and the present to just be you.

Evolve. This could be physically (take a walk), mentally (talk it out), creatively (pick up a paintbrush instead of a pencil)…anything. Literally, anything. Do something a little different and see where it takes you. Don’t be afraid of growth.

Adapt. Man did we all do that in 2020! Many people adapted to working from home, changes in income, and having children home 24/7. I think we’ve all mastered adapting at this point!

Reach. Reach for the paintbrush, reach for the pen, reach for the stars, reach out to a friend, reach for the coffee, beer, bong, or soda…just reach.

While every day is, technically, a new beginning, it’s also a great day to forget about starting over and focus on picking up where you left off. Be gentle with yourself, evolve and grow, adapt to the world around you, and reach…bear with it. Each day is a continuation of your life journey, your evolution.