Beginnings are beautiful. Whether it be the first page of a new chapter, the beginning of a workout/diet program, the start of a new semester or job, or even a decision to quit a bad habit. They can be different from what we are used to, and it can be hard to adapt, but there's just something so liberating, so freeing, and so beautiful about new beginnings.

You say goodbye to bad habits of your past, and hello to a healthier life. You move to a brand new city, full of endless possibilities and leave behind the one that made you feel small. You decide to meet new people who lift you up and motivate you, and ditch the ones who don't appreciate you enough. A new beginning can mean freeing yourself of what cages you in, of what makes you feel less whole.

Sometimes, though, a new beginning can also mean saying goodbye to a someone, a career, or a home that you don't want to leave. Sometimes we don't get to decide when our life is switching gears; all we can do is hold on tight for the ride.

We aren't always ready for change, and hardly do we ever want change, but our fear of the unknown will hold us back more than anything else in our lives. We have to let go of our need to control the future, we have to move out of our comfort zone. If we choose to stay, in a world, stuck, nothing will ever happen for us. But if we decide that the future holds much greater things ahead than anything we may leave behind, and we embrace that change - that's when we will truly notice the beauty of new beginnings.

If you're like me, you might be unclear whether a new beginning is what you're after, or just a pause from life. While you can't actually stop time, you can, and you should, pause what you're doing and take the time to rest your body, your mind, your soul. It can be exhausting going through life without ever stopping and taking a deep breath, and it can have detrimental effects on our bodies. Take the time once in a while to listen to what your body and mind are telling you. If you're tired, actually get some rest. If you're not liking the work you've been putting out, figure out why and fix it. And if after your adult-timeout, you're still yearning for something more, a new beginning could be what you need. And it's easy to start one, even if you're not sure what you want out of it.

The thing with new beginnings is that they are starting and ending all the time. They aren't always black and white, so we don't always notice them, but changes happen in our relationships all the time. Because of these little changes, we are able to make the big changes. The changes that actually begin to affect our lives. We begin to notice what really makes us happy, what makes us actually feel important, and we want more of it.

I've also learned that a new beginning does not happen overnight. Whether we want to make the change right now in this exact moment or not, we won't see a major change in our lives the next time we wake up, that's just not realistic. But if we are determined, and we keep pushing for the change we wish to see, it will happen.

And that new beginning we were so scared of will now be a comforting friend we can always turn to when we're in need.