There's something about starting something new that is both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time.  On the one hand, trying something new can be a kind of adventure since you don't know what to expect.  On the other hand, the fear of the unknown can be a crippling force if you allow it to be.  Relocating to another area is a perfect example of how something can be very exciting and scary at the same time.

For Long Islanders, relocating to another area usually means that they will be living in a place that is beyond convenient visiting distance, as it will take either a plane trip or extended car ride to come back to see the friends and family that they left behind.  Often times the decision to relocate is delayed for just this reason.  After all, the reason that many people decide to relocate is for quality of life purposes.  Each person needs to truly evaluate what makes them happy and gives them the quality of life that they are looking for, and family and friends are usually big factors in this equation.

Sometimes we get to choose our new beginnings, and sometimes our new beginnings choose us.  A Long Islander that is looking for a place where their dollar will stretch further has made the choice on their own.  If, however, your company is relocating, then the new beginning is choosing you if you'd like to retain your current position.  New beginnings are a part of life that we all must face at one time or another.  In fact, this blog was inspired by a new beginning that had nothing to do with real estate.

Yesterday was a day of new beginnings for me.  My oldest child started Kindergarten, his first step in his educational journey.  Like many other children, there certainly was a fear of the unknown, which made him long for the comfort zone that was pre-school.  There was a little excitement about certain aspects of going to Kindergarten, but ultimately, fear of the unknown outweighed the positives as we dropped him off at the front steps of the school. 

Through his tear-filled eyes our son reluctantly said goodbye as he took the hand of a truly compassionate teacher, who did everything that he could to put our son's mind at ease.  They spoke about Power Rangers and football and bonded in a way that helped my son.  As soon as this teacher approached us, I knew that he would be the one to get my son to enter the unknown.  A fairly young teacher, he reminded me of the young man that helped my son over the fear of the unknown this summer as he gently coaxed him into the pool for his swimming lessons by forming a bond and building trust.  This trust was formed by appealing to my son's interests (Power Rangers, of course), but it was done in a very friendly way, which allowed my son's defenses to come down and to open his mind to a new beginning.

In a recent blog entitled A Brilliant Sales Technique - So Simple, Even A Child Can Do It, I spoke about a child that went the extra mile by doing the small gestures that take very little effort, but have a great impact.  A little bit really does go a long way in life, and the gym teacher mentioned above is a shining example of this because of what he did after he escorted our son safely to his classroom. 

Since our home is located within walking distance to the school, it doesn't take us very long to get there.  As we pushed our little girl in the stroller to come back home, we both felt the sadness that our son was feeling.  No one wants to see their child hurting, and we both knew that this was going to be tough on him.  Imagine our surprise and delight to come home and find a message waiting for us from the teacher that helped our son out, letting us know that he arrived safely in his classroom.  That alone would have been more than enough, but the message went on to describe that he and our son were still debating who the strongest Power Ranger was.  He left a synopsis of their conversation in a very reassuring message on our voicemail letting us know that our little boy was going to be just fine. 

Wow!  Talk about going the extra mile.  The teacher had to finish helping other children, got our phone number from the school, and made the call within a matter of minutes.  Wouldn't life be better if we all had someone to guide us by the hand through times of uncertainty?  Maybe then, new beginnings wouldn't be so intimidating.

Whether you are relocating to another part of the country, starting a new job, or going to your first day of school, there are people that can help make your new beginnings more exciting than nerve-wracking.  You can find them if you just know where to look.

What new beginnings have you experienced?  Have you received outstanding support from anyone for any of your new beginnings?  Please share your stories in the comments section of this blog.