A friend who is a Fitness instructor, once said that most people give up their goals, – when they’re in touching reach of them!

It calls to mind a comedy sketch with a character slumped against a rock; having spent days negotiating futile land: the oasis literally feet away from them, but they were too despondent to notice it.

Often, when we feel the burn of pain, it’s tempting to simply give up. Yet frequently this desire within us centres on an ambition, or dream that we’ve fostered for years: “When I grow up, I want to be a train -driver”.

It’s helpful to remember that even the most financially successful people have had to start over again. The well-known entrepreneur Peter Jones is a good example: having lost most of his assets he once lived in his warehouse, to save money.

When we embark on a new venture, and even if the idea is merely a concept, it’s natural to expect feelings of anxiety or fear; these are normal human emotions, and we’d benefit from remembering this, as opposed to labelling ourselves as mentally unwell.

I’m sure that you can think of actors or performers, who have fudged their lines, or indeed experienced technical issues, out of their control. They seldom walk off set or scurry away from the stage: They start over again.

Before I could walk, something I learned to do aged three due to cerebral palsy; I remember many times that I’d try taking a step, only to fall on my rear. But I kept starting over again until I took my first steps.

So, even when you feel weary, and you’re hindered by self-doubt, try doing what I do. I simply read articles, or cherry-pick inspirational documentaries, – about people who have endured a far tougher life than me, and often against the odds, they start over again.

We need to rid the word failure from the dictionary, because it’s wrongly inaccurate. When we fail, we are simply going down one route, that for a multitude of reasons isn’t the right choice at the optimum time. We’re merely wanting to make something close to our hearts a reality, and we’ve been trying.

If we are fortunate enough to grow old, then in my experience most elderly people I’ve known, talk about regrets for the things they’ve let go by the wayside; perhaps in a more challenging era, they felt that they didn’t have the opportunity to start over.

Every day presents a chance to start over again, even with simple pursuits. For instance, when I’m doing my daily exercises, I often get distracted midst a movement. I don’t allow myself to surrender: I simply start over again.

I hope this is helpful.

SUNNY wishes,

Emma x