New Beginnings… Beginning Again!

Guest Blogger: Barbara Sinor, Ph.D.

Tales of Addiction

We all know that New Beginnings can happen in an instant. By giving ourselves permission to begin a new day, a new path, a new way of thinking, we can choose to “begin again.” We experience New Beginnings many times in our lives. Take a moment to look at your own life, your past experiences. Think about the new ways in which you have needed to begin again many times throughout your life.

New Beginnings can happen when you begin a new job or career, a new diet or exercise program, a new relationship, a new kind of worship or meditation practice; also, when you begin a new school or educational training. Have you recently acquired a new pet or had a new baby enter the family? Definitely, a New Beginning! New Beginnings can happen when you have been challenged with a new health issue; or, if you have recently been married, divorced, or even experienced a death of a family member or friend.

Each time we journey on a new path to experience a New Beginning, it is important to consciously allow ourselves to review, process emotions—especially forgiveness—and learn to accept our new path. Also, before we move toward a New Beginning, it is important to learn the lessons from our past experience. One way to do this is to ask ourselves questions such as: What do I know now that I did not know before this experience? Why was it important for me to learn this truth or lesson? Do I need to forgive others or myself before I move forward?

I like to remember the following quote from numerologist Christine DeLorey when thinking about learning lessons from the past:

Stop holding your past at an arm’s length as if you are afraid that it will catch up with you. It’s meant to! Let it! The past is filled with knowledge and experience, and what it has to teach you needs to be accepted into the present. Only then will you be able to feel, sense, and create what you want.

About the Author

Barbara Sinor, PhD

Dr. Sinor is a retired Psychospiritual Therapist where she maintained a private counseling practice of over twenty-five years. She counseled individuals and facilitated groups exploring the healing and recovery of post-traumatic stress disorder, childhood abuse/incest, adults of alcoholics, and consulted for substance abuse/addiction recovery centers. Sinor is the author of five books, the last two surrounding the addiction field. In 2009, Addiction: What’s Really Going On? Inside a Heroin Treatment Program was released, and in 2010 her book Tales of Addiction and Inspiration for Recovery became a must read. This book documents stories from those who have been or are addicted to drugs and/or alcohol, or for those whose life has been affected by substance addiction through friends and family. Sinor can be reached through her website www.drsinor.com.