Northern Drift by Monique Sliedrecht
Swimming in the sea seems like ‘torture’! Picture: Monique Sliedrecht
Beginnings provide a fresh start in many different ways: a baby coming into the world, a first day of college, a realisation that leads to change of heart and action…
A beginning tends to involve advancement toward the unknown, away from the usual and ordinary, into the unusual and extra-ordinary. This can feel precarious. But amazing things often happen when we get off the beaten track and take a step in a newly chosen direction.
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” – Rainer Maria Rilke.
At times new beginnings involve a sudden leap into the unfamiliar. On New Year’s Eve I was talking to friends who like to swim in the North Sea. They spoke of running through metres of freezing shallow water in order to get to the deeper water which (to me) just prolongs the torture. Other times they prefer to dive right into the depths. Aargh. Brrr.
Either way, new experiences are a risk. We wonder how we are going to feel. We imagine the level of work it will take, or the alarming discomfort we might experience. We are afraid to fail. Sometimes we give up before we even start or when things get difficult.
But it is in the very act of making a change that something interesting happens and we begin to feel more alive. The American author and civil rights leader, Howard Thurman, once said: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Risk can mean different things to different people. For example, if you’re not in the habit of getting out socially and you’re living in the echo chamber of your mind, thinking over and over how lonely you are, perhaps it’s time to reach out to someone. Suggest a coffee or a walk.
If you’ve always wanted to paint, but told yourself and others that you couldn’t and you haven’t picked up a paintbrush in the last 20 years, maybe today is the time to sign up for a painting workshop.
At this start of 2025, what is it that you want to begin? Maybe it would be to say no to things that drain your energy; or to look for the best in others; to read books instead of texts and screens. Do less rather than more. Simplify. Be trustworthy. Live in the moment instead of fretting about the past or focusing too much on the future. These can be very good ways to start a new chapter.
One way to think of it is to ask the question: What went well last year, and what will I change this year, OR What went well today, and what can I do differently tomorrow?
Another approach to considering new beginnings is to determine what to let go of, and what to embrace. These are some general things that come to mind…
Let go of: Criticism. Negativity. Digital excess. Materialism. Stubbornness. Stagnation. Resentment. Worry. Pride.
Seek and Embrace: Walking. Real Connection. Nature. Self reflection. Therapy. Resolution. Adventure. Creativity. Forgiveness.
I’ve put forgiveness last, but it can be the doorway to freedom. There is a very famous quote by the great 18th-century poet, Alexander Pope, who said more than 300 years ago: “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
Forgiveness is the evidence of a divine spark in the human soul. Every one of us can discover that inner fire. It’s a rare and beautiful quality to take into any new year. It really means letting go of the past, and the person who forgives brings a blessing on their own life. This is one of the major ways of making a new beginning, to take the risk of loving others in a courageous way, and in turn, loving ourselves.
Monique Sliedrecht.
• Monique Sliedrecht is an artist and blogger based at Freswick. Visit her blog at www.moniquesliedrecht.com