I don’t know about you, but lately, I’ve been feeling a bit off-kilter—out of whack, without my center. If you can relate, know you’re not alone. Many of us experience those moments when we feel disconnected — where heightened emotions, exposed nerves, and clouded decision-making take center stage. It’s humbling to confront how we really feel, and even more challenging to delve into what’s brewing beneath the surface.
In times of unease, it’s all too easy to seek comfort in distractions—be it mindless scrolling through social media, binge-watching shows, or taking on more work so we never have time to stop and witness our own suffering. But then when there’s a seam in our distraction of choice — a moment of stillness, of silence — we often find ourselves sinking back into that unsettling space.
Just Begin Again
In these times, how can we find our ground, our center, again? One approach I’ve been thinking about lately is the concept of “beginning again.”
Basically, this is the notion that we hold the power to start anew in each and every moment. Instead of being trapped in cycles of overthinking, catastrophizing, self-criticizing, or numbing with distraction, we can empower ourselves with the truth that every moment is its own new dawn, with its own new invitation.
This idea is beautifully captured in a poem by David Whyte titled ‘Start Close In.’ The opening stanza reads:
Start close in,
don’t take the second step or the third,
start with the first thing
close in,
the step
you don’t want to take.
This poem encapsulates the importance of grounding ourselves before launching into, well, anything – be it a solution, a decision, a distraction, a conclusion. It encourages us to begin with what feels familiar—the ground beneath our feet, the feel of our breath, the emotions living in our body, the pressing questions within we’re trying to ignore.
[For the full poem, click here].
By starting close in and honoring where you are RIGHT NOW, you permit yourself to feel what you may be reluctant to confront. And – as uncomfortable as that is sometimes – “close in” is always the birthplace of new and hopeful beginnings.
Remember, you are exactly where you need to be – just begin again.
