10 Quotes for Starting Over
Time and again life returns us to the seashore, where the only thing that there is is confusion. When we move forward in one task and we realize that it is not working at all, and it would be better to return to square one, or when we face the definitive loss of a loved one, or of a dream, or of a reality we enjoyed. It is a moment in which it helps us a lot to hear quotes about starting over.
Actually, the words “beginning” and “ending” are constructions of our mind. In every minute of life we are beginning and ending something. Both biologically and psychologically, we are always moving forward. There are always changes, and perhaps there are only two extremes where we can really say that something begins and ends in an absolute sense: when we are born and when we die.
Life is like a football game: “it is not over until the referee blows the last whistle”. Therefore, it is never too late to start over. There are many examples of people who tried to do this, even at very advanced ages, and they succeeded. Many of them left us beautiful quotes for starting over as their legacy. For example, this a beautiful statement by CS Lewis:
Coming face-to-face with the choice of whether to start over is a recurring situation. It is not so simple to accept that something important has ended and that, in one way or another, everything now has to be left behind. Starting over demands courage, and also motivation. That is why we have found 10 quotes about starting again that could fill you with strength when all roads are closed.
Quotes for starting over
There are times when we face overwhelming losses. This happens when someone dies or leaves for good. Also, for example, when we lose our job, a property that we really needed, or a large amount of money. It is on those occasions when we feel that we have to start over and, in addition, do it from scratch.
The hardest part is taking the first step. It means accepting the loss and embarking on a new path. It demands decision, courage and energy. That is why we often hesitate to embark on a new path. However, it is important to remember some of those quotes about starting again that great philosophers left us:
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.
–Lao Tzu–
Fear is our greatest enemy when we try to start again. It is normal. However, at that point it is worth remembering Joseph Campbell, a great thinker, who also left us wonderful quotes for starting over. He warns us that dangers sometimes only exist in our imagination. That often the most precious thing is precisely on the other side of our fears. This quote by Campbell sums it up:
Starting over after failure
There are other times when the need to start over doesn’t begin with loss, but mainly from failure. Like if you tried to start a new company and everything started to go wrong, until it reached a point where it seemed impossible to keep going.
Failure leaves a mark on our confidence and our desire to succeed. It is not easy to gather the energy you need to start over, to try again. That’s when the great capsules of wisdom that great characters of throughout time gain strength. These are some of them:
“Nothing is lost if one has the courage to proclaim that all is lost and we must begin anew”.
-Julio Cortázar-
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently”.
-Henry Ford-
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending”.
-Maria Robinson-
We need courage to admit that we failed. We also need bravery and strength to understand that no failure is the end. Quite the opposite: mistakes are great teachers that help us grow. We must learn to turn mistakes into a source of wisdom.
Beginnings and endings are relative; starting over is always possible
The concepts of beginnings and endings are very relative. Life has its cycles. In the winter everything ends, only to start again in the spring. This is what is beautifully expressed in this Lao Tzu quote: “What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly”.
That is what we are, an eternal ending and an infinite beginning. In one way or another, nothing begins and nothing ends. What there are are processes that happen, where there are tasks that lead to other tasks. This is what Pedro Alborán reminds us in this quote:
“Reaching the end does not mean ending. Many times I wonder if ending something is just the beginning of a new path. And that question is what pushes me to try starting over.”
-Pablo Alborán-
Finding the strength to start over helps us to believe that trying again is worthwhile. Life demands that we become able to grow. Experience and knowledge about the art of living are only acquired by living. And new paths are a call for us to feel the pulse of life. To renew ourselves and discover new realities. Just as Mark Twain reflected:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”.
-Mark Twain-
Let’s not forget that nothing lasts forever. That the endings and losses are part of life. Sooner or later we will come face to face with the need to start over. It is in those moments when it becomes possible to correct errors, adjust actions and set goals. Starting over again always encapsules the magic, as well as the emotion, of a new opportunity.