Isn't everyone ready for a fresh start?

The personal and shared renewal we all need right now...

As I look around me at the amazing warriors on this battlefield, I see and feel for myself just how worn to the bone we’ve gotten. In the midst of all the insanity, it’s sometimes easy to lose perspective on what we are fighting for - the very essence of what it means to be human, really. Almost all of us have been witness to or an active part of power struggles and ego clashes in our movement that seem to paralyze and obstruct our efforts. We have spent months vetting and disseminating life-saving information, being met with irrational attacks, and now that the truth is becoming obvious, no one will admit to any fault or need of corrective action on their part. It’s exasperating.

And then there are our relationships… we look around in our lives and we see the wreckage of so many friendships, families, and social institutions we once cherished. Even much of the music we loved has become tainted with the stench of vax mandates, and it just doesn’t create the same feeling anymore. We have truly been through a lot, every one of us.

So as we sit here at the brink of the year, let’s take a couple extra slow breaths and consider giving it all a fresh start. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s a question of perspective, really. A fresh start means stepping back from it all to take a look through new eyes. We have all been faced with problems that have seemed unsolvable at times when we are looking at them weary from a long day, but they can look a lot more manageable after a good meal and a night’s rest. A fresh start means a re-evaluation of all the elements of the situation as if it were the first time we were encountering it. For me, in my work of public advocacy, it means re-evaluating my goals, looking for who everyone who is doing a good job achieving those goals, and improving my own approach for the future. A fresh start is all about fully accepting that the situation is what it is and that the only power I have to change it is by changing myself and my approach to it.

I take a fresh look at my strengths & weaknesses. I look at the members of my team and community and try to better understand their strengths and weaknesses, and I recommit to working with patience and good, but realistic, expectations of them and our relationship. A fresh start is about putting our strength where it belongs and where it is not wasted.

But a fresh start is firstly about taking out the trash and recycling. We cannot have a fresh start without creating the space in our lives that is free of dysfunctional and unhealthy relationships. This does not mean ‘cancelling’ people, but rather taking a step back to evaluate the things we really aren’t willing to tolerate any more, and then making that clear to those folks. Necessarily, this is going to clear the playing field somewhat, but it does provide an opportunity for growth. We must get beyond the fear of losing people for telling our truth and stating our non-negotiables. We can invite them to something new, and if they refuse the invitation, so be it.

I know for myself, the challenges I’ve faced with my friends and family relationships have been a huge tax on my strengh, stamina, and positive attitude, not to mention my productivity. But now, I really do have a bevy of happy and growing relationships, with many more on the horizon, it seems. I feel I now have the strength and the foundation under me to confidently stand in this new world in which I find myself. I am ready to leave the past behind.

““Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.” - Rev. Don Felt