The world will tell you that starting over means you wasted time. But the truth is, every time you turn the page, you are starting smarter, wiser, and more aware of what you actually want. You don’t have to apologize for needing a new beginning, and you don’t have to carry the heaviness of yesterday into the beauty of today.

Every time you start over, you’re starting smarter.

– Jacqueline Whitney

You’re allowed to start over:

You’re allowed to walk into a new month, a new season, a new chapter without bringing everything that’s been weighing you down. You’re allowed to leave behind the version of yourself that was barely surviving. You’re allowed to want something different than what you wanted yesterday.

Starting over isn’t failure. It’s wisdom. It’s recognizing that what got you here can’t take you where you’re going. It’s having the courage to admit that what you thought you wanted no longer fits who you’re becoming.

The world will tell you that starting over is going backward. That it means you wasted time. That you should’ve gotten it right the first time. But the truth is, every time you start over, you’re starting smarter. Wiser. More aware of who you are and what you actually want.

You don’t have to apologize for needing a new beginning. You don’t have to justify why you’re choosing differently. You don’t have to explain why this version of your life looks different from the one you used to want.

Start over as many times as it takes.

Until you build a life that feels like yours.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.