When you set forth on a new beginning, venture, goal, or mindset, you must not be afraid and have the courage to make the necessary changes to your life. Change can be daunting. We struggle with change and are firmly committed to our current mindsets that we sometimes lack the ability to recognize if it’s a healthy, productive mindset. We hold dearly to what we know, refusing to let it go, versus accepting when change is necessary and making those changes. God commands us through Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go,” (NIV). Wiping out the old and dysfunctional mindset to create a new YOU is the requirement to start a new beginning.
What is required to have a new beginning?
WE CHANGE OUR MINDSET!
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) (NIV)
You renew your life by changing your mindset on how you view, understand, respond, and interact with the world. Vocabulary.com (2022) describes mindset as “a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations”. Change your attitude changes your mindset. No matter if your attitude is positive or negative, it will grow based on what it is fed. If your attitude is negative your results will be negative along with your mood, emotions, and overall outlook on the situation or working towards your goals. A negative statement such as I can’t or it won’t work can defeat you before you truly start. A positive statement such as I can, or I believe it will work can give the necessary boost to project you closer to the finish line. You must take responsibility for your attitude and actions.
Part of that new beginning in our lives is taking responsibility for our lives. We are responsible for our actions and reactions, what we say, do, and feel. We can’t blame others for how we feel or our actions or lack of action because we are in control of ourselves or at least we should be. Some circumstances may be beyond our control but how we respond, react, and interpret each situation lies solely on us.
Years ago, I counseled two young sisters, 6 and 8 years old. Both had an incident of bullying at school where other children made fun of their non-brand name shoes. The oldest sister’s response was devastation, and embarrassment, and ran away crying. Her mindset and mental attitude were for the need to be accepted by her peers, to fit in, and conform. The youngest sister’s response was to say, “At least I have shoes. You like me or you don’t. There are other kids to play with.” Her mindset to the negative comment did not devalue her personally, as she focused on her value versus the opinions of others. One mindset fed on the negative and the other accentuated the positive. Of the two girls, which one closely reflects you and your current mindset? Making small adjustments to our mindset by changing our views, values, and beliefs helps create a new beginning and renew ourselves.
Changing our mindset provides an opportunity for a new beginning to make even the smallest of steps towards your goals or to make large changes in your life. At the beginning of every year, people make new resolutions that they will do or accomplish this or that. They start off thinking this will be the year. A week or two goes by with making some progress and motivation is high. Then by week three, the high motivation to achieve the goal starts sloping at a downward spiraling projection to eventually fade out, to hopefully one day be picked up to start again.
YOU must decide what changes you want to make, and why you want to make them, create a map or plan for your changes, and then make the first step. So many people fail to make changes or to achieve their goals because they simply won’t put one foot in front of the other. Heck if you don’t want to do that put them together and just start hopping toward your goal or the change you want to make. It doesn’t matter how you get there just that you do.
You must accept that you need to change, believe that you can change or reach your goals, and have the ability with the help of God and the Holy Spirit to motivate, influence, and guide your path to achievement.
The next step is determining what needs to change.
Think about or write down the 2 top changes that are necessary for renewing yourself in the categories of physical, mental/emotional, financial, and spiritual. Choose the top 1 or 2 changes that you feel are required. I recommend choosing from the spiritual or mental/emotional categories because changing your mindset from the old to the new involves a nontangible aspect of you. Sometimes the things you can’t see, or touch have the greatest impact on your life. Money is great don’t get me wrong but having confidence, determination, and willpower can get you the money and keep it coming.
So, ASK yourself right now these 4 questions? Write your answers down.
1. What major change or changes (NO more than 2) do I NEED to make in my life right now?
2. How will make the change or changes benefit or improve the quality of my life?
3. Am I willing to work for it, determined to achieve it, and vested in my belief and faith in making the change or changes no matter what?
4. How would your life look after making this change or changes?
You must focus on working on the desired major change that will make the most improvement in your life, then other areas will start to fall into place and align. For example, for the mental/emotional category, a major change could be learning to say “NO”. People struggle with the ability to say “NO”.
They are always giving in to others’ requests despite not wanting to or it’s highly inconvenient, but they do it anyway. Sometimes not saying “no” adversely affects your life and growth. Think about your WHY that influences you to not say “no”. Is it fear? Were you taught by your parents to always say “yes”? Do you want to be liked? Are you afraid of saying that dirty two-letter word “NO”? OH MY!!! How will people react if I say “NO”? You may think they will react negatively, but they might respect you more because you’re being honest, by valuing and respecting yourself. God made us as humans in God’s likeness and not as vinyl doormats with “Welcome: Use & Abuse Me” written on us. So WHY do we let people walk all over us by not saying “NO”?
Sometimes you even have to say NO to work, children, and spouses. Even NO to something that seems like an opportunity but maybe it’s not the right timing. NO is an okay word to utilize and sometimes you need to stick to saying NO.
Change and starting new can be an emotional struggle. Sometimes a new beginning can start just with simply valuing and respecting yourself. You can choose to love and appreciate yourself. A top ten contender for the 1st step toward a new beginning is to love and respect yourself! Focus and work on changing your mindset from negative to positive to make a new you and start your new beginning. Like the lyrics from the song by En Vogue (1992) “free your mind and the rest will follow” to “change your mind and the rest will follow”. GOD OFFERS US A RENEWED MIND, LIFE, AND A NEW BEGINNING DAILY to do better today than we did yesterday!
Bio: Janice Newman is the producer and host of the cable television series Y? Why Not! that airs weekly across the country. She is a business entrepreneur and owner of a real estate appraisal and brokerage company, a professional development specialist, a certificate in Christian counseling, a writer, and a teacher.
Follow and Subscribe to Y? Why Not! on Facebook and YouTube. Receive a FREE pdf copy of Janice’s book “Y? Why Not!” by subscribing to the Facebook page and sending a message.

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