The fresh start fallacy
Fellow bloggers Brandon and Mike have recently written insightful posts on a common theme: the illusion of the fresh start. The idea that a new beginning is a magic cure-all.
It's a seductive thought, isn't it? Especially with the new year upon us. The tempting prospect of sweeping the past under the rug and starting with a clean slate. I'll confess, I've fallen for this enticing trap myself many times.
But the truth is, it's a misleading and ultimately false notion.
Imagine turning over a new leaf, ready to fill a blank page with fresh, unblemished content. But can we truly escape the past? Are these new words and sentences really free from the old?
It's not really that new and fresh, is it? On the contrary, these are words and sentences that carry a lifetime of experiences. Each written character carries a myriad of joy and sorrow, successes and setbacks, happiness and despair.
Not quite...
Every word we write, every thought we form, carries a lifetime of experiences. Each character is etched with joy and sorrow, successes and setbacks, happiness and despair. Our history shapes our present, whether we acknowledge it or not.
There aren't enough leaves to turn to find an empty page. There aren't rugs big enough to sweep our history under. And why should we? These are invaluable life experiences that we should rather highlight and be grateful for.
There aren't enough pages in the world to outrun our past. No rug is large enough to conceal the tapestry of our lives. And why should we want to? These experiences, both the highs and the lows, are invaluable. They've shaped us, molded us, and made us who we are. Instead of denying them, we should embrace them, learn from them, and be grateful for the journey.
We are what we have been, and we become what we are.