A clean slate whenever you need one

The tide will return and wipe away all evidence of visitors. (Image by Roman Grac)

It’s the first day of a new year. Unblemished and unbroken like an overnight snowfall that no one’s had a chance to walk upon.

Inevitably, it will get messed up — the snow and the year. What then?

It’s important to remember that we can give ourselves a fresh start whenever we need one. We don’t need confetti and champagne in order to press the reset button; sometimes, it takes a few deep breaths and a recommitment to whatever we intended before things got messy. We can begin again anytime.

Things will never be perfect; we will struggle to follow through on our new habits, we’ll get snippy with people we care about, and we will fall short of the incredible performance we dream of. At these moments, if we can have compassion for ourselves and our missteps, we can more easily wipe the slate clean and try again.

Of course, extending this same generosity to those around us, particularly children and adolescents, goes a long way toward helping them to be happier and more successful, too. Many kids believe that one wrong move ruins everything; we need to help them understand, by our example and our kindness, that we can always try again. To be imperfect doesn’t mean we’re worthless; it means we’re human.

Enjoy the sparkling possibility that today offers; at the same time, realize that the same exciting sense of potential can be yours anytime you want it, even after things go wrong. Especially then.