There’s a quiet kind of bravery in wiping the slate clean.
It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t demand applause. But it’s there — in the moment you decide to walk away from what no longer serves you and take the first step toward something new.
“Don’t be afraid to start over. You might like your new story better.”
We tend to think of “starting over” as a setback. In school, you’re supposed to get it right the first time. In careers, you’re told consistency is everything. In relationships, we’re conditioned to see endings as failures. Yet life, at its core, is a series of drafts. We are constantly revising, editing, and rewriting who we are becoming.
The Myth of the Permanent Path
Many of us grow up believing we need to pick a lane and stay in it. Choose one career. Stick with one passion. Commit to one version of yourself. But this myth can trap us in situations, jobs, and identities that we’ve outgrown. Starting over isn’t betrayal; it’s evolution. It’s how butterflies are born from caterpillars. It’s how artists reinvent themselves across decades. It’s how you discover who you really are — not once, but again and again.
The Gift of a Blank Page
When you start over, you’re not erasing the past. You’re leveraging it. Every mistake, every heartbreak, every false start is ink on your manuscript. But now you get to flip the page and choose a new chapter heading. That freedom can be terrifying — but it’s also the most powerful creative act you’ll ever make. A blank page says: You’re not finished. You’re free.
How to Begin Again Gracefully
Reframe it as growth, not failure. Each ending is data. It shows you what worked and what didn’t. Take small, deliberate steps. Starting over doesn’t mean abandoning everything at once. Often it’s small pivots that lead to big transformations. Lean into curiosity.
Ask yourself: “What excites me now? What energizes me? What do I want to explore?” Follow that. Tell yourself the truth. Change begins when you’re honest about what’s no longer working and what you want instead.
Your New Story is Waiting
The best stories rarely unfold exactly as planned. Heroes change direction. Characters grow in unexpected ways. Plot twists force them to reconsider everything. That’s what makes a story worth telling — and living.
Maybe the chapter you’re in isn’t the one you’ll stay in forever. Maybe the person you’re becoming won’t fit the life you’ve built. And maybe that’s not a problem but an invitation: an invitation to start over, to try again, to rewrite your narrative in a way that reflects the truest version of you.
So, don’t be afraid to turn the page. Your next chapter may not only surprise you — it might just become your favorite part of the story!
Kenrick Vaz 