The beginning is always today.
― Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British Novelist best known for her novel, Frankenstein. She knew that the beginning of something is today. Actually, it is always today.
Her statement seems obvious. Yet, when I read it this morning, I thought, “What a great idea.” I like to start things yesterday. Which is of course impossible. So I end up not starting.
My life is a series of, “If only I…” If only I had taken those photographs twenty-five years ago when I met the publisher for Abbeyville Press in Tokyo and he wanted to publish a book of my photographs of Japanese women. But I didn’t do it because I couldn’t quite decide what to do, and I didn’t follow through.
If only we hadn’t borrowed so much money to redo the kitchen in Saint Paul, Minnesota, we wouldn’t have so much debt to pay off. But the money is spent and I can’t go back and not rip out the kitchen cabinets and walls to the studs.
If only I had brought my own Mamiya camera to New Orleans from Tokyo in 1988, instead of the camera I rented from New York City. The rental camera wouldn’t have broken on the first day of the shoot at 5:00 in the morning, and I wouldn’t have had to rent a Hasselblad camera from the camera store and buy a Polaroid back for $450 dollars because they wouldn’t rent the Polaroid back. But the photographs are taken and the book is printed. I can’t go back in time and take my own camera.
Today I don’t want to say, “If only I…” Today I want to begin something new. But sometimes it’s hard to start.
It is easier to live in the past. You don’t have to actually do anything. On your shelves you can display all of your trophies from your past accomplishments. It might be fun to spend the rest of your life looking at your photographs and dusting off your past.
You don’t have to worry about what you want to do with the rest of your life. If you don’t start something, you will never have to overcome the fear of meeting new people or starting a new class. You can live a life of regret and sorrow for all the mistakes you made.
Or you can pick yourself up and start something.
You can even start today.
I realise there’s something incredibly honest about trees in winter, how they’re experts at letting things go.
―Jeffrey McDaniel
Will you be a tree with me today, and let go of past regrets? Will you believe in yourself and start something? Lets put away our dusters and start something new.
What will you start today?
Please tell me in the comments, I would love to chat.
