New Chapter

Let’s walk into the unknown. Every August, I lose my ability to enjoy the lazy days of summer because I know: change is coming.

This feeling starts with talk of Back-to-School, and the feeling grows as corporations try to “make up for productivity lost” during summer vacations. The best leaders are already fully planning and budgeting for 2025. 

At a time when nature starts slowing down, everything else seems to be speeding up. 

A friend of mine is headed to college soon. I asked them how it feels to have people constantly asking about their future plans. They replied with one word: terrifying.

My friend is the oldest and is leaving home for the first time. They have no footsteps to follow as they walk into the unknown. 

With every new chapter, something is lost. We must leave the old versions of ourselves behind. 

Heading to college is not the only time in life when we are called to close out the old and start new. It actually happens often throughout life, and most of us are unprepared. 

Instead of confidently creating a brighter future, we stay in the “yeah, but…” stage of avoidance.

Change is coming. Yeah, but…summer is short and I need to play more. 

Yeah, but…money's too tight to make a bold move right now. 

Yeah, but…I need to finish these projects before I can even think about my future. 

Yeah, but…I’m happy enough. I don’t want to change. 

“Yeah, but…” keeps us in the past. 

We stop dreaming and start seeing life through the eyes of bad bosses. We see the future as holding more problems than promise. We cling to bad jobs, bad relationships, and old chapters.

Old patterns will repeat until we start seeing life through the eyes of our future self. 

My college-bound friend is the inspiration we need to change. They are fully ready to leave high school and summer behind. They see themselves having a better life in the future. They may be terrified, but they decided the unknown will be better than the past. 

We should all see our future selves as better than we are today.

When you look through the eyes of your future self, what do you see?

Disbelief in our greatness and worthiness are the only real things that stand in the way of a new chapter. 

Change is coming. We all deserve a future that is better than today. 

Let’s walk into the unknown together.  It’s time to leave the old versions of ourselves behind. Let’s start a new (and better) chapter now.