James J. Cudney IV

365 Challenge: Day 313 – Beginning

Beginning: (a) the point in time or space at which something starts, or (b) new and inexperienced

beginning.jpg

Quote from Louis L’Amour, American author 

***

As I begin my day, my mind is cluttered with things I want to do, moments I wistfully remember and tasks I must address. None of them are difficult or time-consuming, but all should probably be part of my day. When I thought about a word for today, nothing worth sharing came to mind. I’m processing my grief. I’m organizing my upcoming days. I’m communicating with friends and family. I’m living, something we’re all familiar with, and keeping forward momentum as my guiding post. I stumbled across this quote while looking up something, and it struck me as simple yet powerful. I’ve never read of the author’s work, at least not that I recall, but it gave me some perspective.

So much of my focus and energy each moment of my day is to complete a task — to get to the end and/or finish what I started — whether it’s a book, a challenge, a project or a meal. Yet, we all know the journey along the path is more important than being able to say you finished something. As L’Amour clearly notes, when something finishes, it opens up availability for something else to begin; however, there’s actually more to it when I truly pushed myself to analyze this statement. Nothing is truly ever finished, whatever your task or activity is, as you essentially just move from one phase to another. If it’s reading a book, you may finish reading, but then you write a review, share it with a friend or reflect on what you’ve learned. If it’s cooking a meal, you need to clean up the dishes, eat and pack away any leftovers. If it’s a project to build something, you will give it away or use the end product.

I often feel sad when something ends, as I no longer hold what was important to me in the same way. Sometimes it’s easy to accept or understand. Other times it’s difficult. I think being conscious of the change you (and the activity/product/service that is ‘ending’) are experiencing, as well as giving thought to how it could be positive, should be part of the entire process — more circular, rather than a strict stop and start, or beginning and end. My emotions are too raw to apply this to the true ultimate loss (death) of something important to you, but practicing on a smaller scale may help in the long run. I’m not really saying anything new or groundbreaking; we’ve all thought about this advice or heard it in the past. But today, as I push myself to embrace the future, to articulate a purpose, or to accept what’s happening around me, it’s a comforting message.

I will freely admit I haven’t a clue what the beginning is right now, or at least what it leads to, but rather than focus on what’s finished, I will try to open my eyes to what is beginning. Time is of course critical to this process; and I seem to have a lot of that available now, don’t I?

 

About Me & the “365 Daily Challenge”

I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon @ http://mybook.to/WGS. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.

The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.

Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

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34 comments

  3. great share, beginnings are their own special hell, endings can be torture even though shedding things are the only way to forge ahead. Beginnings are so much harder when we think of everything that comes after, so hard to push ourselves sometimes. Life sometimes feels like an endless to do list and it’s often hard to be present in the actual journey. So many of us get stuck too.

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  6. Jay, have you read this lately: The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. Seems to me you are reaching all of these goals. Beginning’s to me hold great promises and excitement. Keep taking one day at a time. Hugs.

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  7. What a wonderful quote. I hope all is well as you deal with your grief. I read your other post about losing a pet. I might cry through that whole book. I also periodically check on your Amazon book site. Are my eyes deceiving me, or did your book jump 15,000 places in the rankings in the past week? Fantastic. P.S. I’m giving away free downloads of my book on BookGrabbr. I would love if you got a copy. It can be accessed at my site. Take care, and be well.

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    • Hi. Depending on the day, and if there were any sales, it ranges a good 30k at a time. I don’t quite understand it, but it is what it is. When it was free, it was in the top 100 for Kindle. Now that it’s regular price, it goes between 30K and 70K each day. I’ve never used bookgrabbr before, but I will go right now. Thanks!

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  10. I haven’t heard this quote before either. It definitely gives you something to think about. You hit on a good point between beginnings and endings, too. I have been thinking about you, Jay. I know I can’t do more, but this is what I can offer.

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  12. It’s a great quote and one that resonates with me today. While you’re never far from my thoughts as you’re grieving, I’m reminded of how life is a series of endings and beginnings. Look to the changing of the seasons from the viewpoint of the mighty maple tree for strength. Each season is a beginning and an ending for the tree. When winter comes and the branches are bare, the tree isn’t dead, only sleeping. Spring comes and the tree blooms once again. You’ll find your way, Jay. I promise. 🙂

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  13. WOW you had me thinking deeply too Jay! Now I’m always running from one completed task to the other as you say but I should try to live in the present. I’m terrible at doing nothing but just enjoy being…

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  15. Since we are sharing quotes Jay, I love: Kindness goes a long way because you never know the battle the person is fighting. Examples, I am homeless just temporarily. A friends Aunt died. I need prayers. I have exhausted all free resources in IL. I pray to get this job on Friday. I blog when I can, so I can attend college too. THanks for being dedicated to my blog, Jackie *

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  16. Oh my, this sounds like you have been in MY head recently. You MUST read Louis L’Amour. My Better Half acquired his love of westerns growing up on Zane Gray and graduated to L’Amour about the time he graduated from high school and joined the Air Force. He liked Louis L’Amour because “the good guys stayed good, and the bad guys were really, really bad–so bad you were glad when the hero shot them dead.” He is currently reading book twenty-something of a(thin) paperback series that is that kind of western.Reminds me of “our” comforting cozy mysteries!

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