"Do over"

Each year I figure I have 3 chances to "start anew": the first is with New Years' Day, the second is the Jewish New Year- Rosh Hashana, and the third is my birthday. And the nice thing about these holidays is that they are pretty well spaced apart: New Years' in January, my birthday in April, and Rosh Hashana in the Fall. Three chances for change. Three chances for reflection. Three chances at a "do over". And really, in life, what could be better than a "do over"?

I find that there are various points of a day or a week when I just make bad choices. I'm not eating well, I'm not exercising like I would like to, I'm not speaking my mind, I'm speaking my mind too often, I'm feeling disconnected, I'm feeling distracted, I'm feeling and thinking and doing all of these things in ways I would rather not. So I like to call a "do over". An adult "do over" is much like a child's "do over" but instead of calling one during a game at recess, you get to call one whenever you want. Each day. Every day. Every moment. Every minute. You provide yourself with an opportunity to "do over" what it is you feel you didn't do right the first time. So you stop, and you take a breath, and you call an internal "do over" and you start again.

And the magic of a "do over" is that the past is forgiven and you begin again. Fresh. Buoyant. Excited. Empowered. You get to call a "do over" for yourself for whatever path you're on and whatever goal you are seeking. You can call a "do over" and you can give yourself a break. You can silence the voices in your head that tell you, you didn't do it right. "Do over" you will say to yourself. And that voice will be quiet. And you will feel more capable. And you will feel more light-hearted. And you will feel like your life is in your hands to do or change or be what you want. Because you can. Because it's your life. Because you can "do over" as many times as you want.

This is the life.
-a