It’s the first week of school (well, for me – maybe the second week for some of you)! You know what I love about the first week of school? Well, I mean other than new school supplies (I love new school supplies!)…

Back to school supplies

New beginnings! I love new beginnings! With a new school year, you have a new opportunity. Do you want it to be just like last school year? Do you want it to be better than last school year? How do you want back to school to be different? You get to choose! Ok, so maybe you didn’t have much choice in your classes or your teachers, maybe you didn’t even have much choice in what school you’re going to (especially if you’re a small fry – and yes, I’m stealing that phrase from Amy Smith, our small fry guru), but you still have lots of choices about school. You choose how hard you want to work. You choose to do your homework. You choose your attitude when you head into class. You choose how you interact with those around you. And all of this together means that you choose what you want for this school year – what power you have!

Adults, even if you’re not in school, the new school year might still affect you – or maybe you’re affecting the school year for someone like your child, your student, your niece/nephew, your grandchild, your client. Remember, this is a fresh, exciting new opportunity! Doesn’t feel fresh and new to you? Try to think back to those days when, with anxiety and excitement, you awaited the first day of school. Would you like your teacher? Would you make a new friend? What would you learn? Would you be able to learn it? Recall that feeling and embrace it. Allow it to help you remember what it is like for things to be fresh and new. Then, consider two things:

1. You can help support this fresh, new adventure for others by embracing that new, fresh attitude yourself.

2. If you haven’t had a fresh, new adventure in awhile, maybe it is time for one. Maybe it is time for your own new beginning. (If it is really hard to connect with that feeling, it might be a clue!)

You see, here’s the other thing I love about new beginnings – you don’t have to wait for one! You can make a new beginning anywhere you choose. Sure, a new school year, new calendar year, new month, new week, new job, or new city can be your new beginning, but it’s okay for your new beginning to just be a random Tuesday in the otherwise same-old same-old month too.

This is my first week of school. I took the opportunity to remind myself that I’m happier when I exercise. I’ve now exercised two days in a row. That’s pretty good. I’m glad for my new beginning. But you know what? If I don’t exercise for the next couple days, I can still declare another new beginning. Maybe it will be next Wednesday, maybe it will be the third Thursday. I can have as many new beginnings as I need, as long as I’m willing to keep trying. 

You can have as many new beginnings as you need too.

So, whether you’re a student or not, take this new school year and (if you have them) your shiny new shoes, new clothes, new books, new pens, new highlighters, and shiny new attitude (the most important part!), and make it what you want it to be. If you fall down, pick yourself and your scuffed up shoes, books, and knees up off the ground and declare another try.

We at Life Skills Resource Group Orlando are here to help you with your new beginnings. Whether you’re an adult, teen, child, or a couple feel free to give our Orlando adult counseling, Orlando teen counseling, Orlando child counseling, Orlando life coaching, or Orlando marriage counseling a try. We even have evening and weekend appointments! Most importantly, we’d love to be on your team, making that new beginning happen!

With new books, but no new shoes (sigh!) ~Krista