Starting a New Journey

Have you ever thought about how challenging it is to start something new? I don’t just mean a new job, new school, relationship, or lifestyle. I mean starting a new journey to add in just one more positive thought to your day, challenging your own perspective one time, or taking on the perspective of someone else for one conversation. You may ask, how is just one small decision like that starting a whole new journey like the ones you initially listed? I turn the question back to you, how do you know that one small decision isn’t your first step into a new journey?

Hey everyone, my name is Courtney and I am the new graduate intern here at Olive Branch Counseling Associates. As I embark on my new journey as a counselor in the private practice setting I am in a position where being curious is good and challenge is  to be welcomed. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t anxiety provoking, so how hard will it be for me to take one step each day of this internship? Writing to this blog several times a week will be helpful as writing is something I love, but in the comfort of my own home. Here on this platform I will be sharing, educating, and providing information for you all and hope that it sits well. That is a step, and I am willing to take it.

I have new clients being referred to me and for them, making that call was the first step they took. Before they made the call maybe they were open to a conversation about coming to therapy, they looked online and searched Olive Branch and others, and maybe they even made the call and hung up, each were a step. Let me rewind here, and let us define a step. A step by what I am referring is a an action, behavior, decision, or choice that is somehow different from your common patterns of behaviors that are made with the intention for change. Again, the step may not be a conscious change towards your overall journey that you intend on, but maybe the one you were meant for. I wont get too existentialist for you though. Given the generic nature of a step by my definition there are not many limitations to what we can quantify as one. That being said, it should be relatively easy to identify them for ourselves right?

Take 1 minute for yourself right now, and think of any steps you made for yourself today and see how many you come up with. I came up with 3, since I have no scientific data for this exercise I cannot tell you how many you could or should have gotten. However, I want you to think about how many things you have done so far today and how many of them were not on your list just now. If the ratio is fairly weighted in the ‘non-step’ category, it may make sense why it can be challenging to notice the steps that we make for ourselves on a daily basis. I want you to take another couple seconds to applaud yourself for the steps you did take today. It isn’t about how many you do or do not make, its whether you try to take a step at all. It is incredibly hard with our daily lives and especially in a world that moves at a mile a minute. Be gentle with yourself if you aren’t able to take as many steps as you would like today and be proud of yourself for being open to taking a step at all.

You are brave. You are strong. You are capable.

Take the step and good luck.