Starting Fresh in 2021

Posted on by Miriam

A fresh start, a clean slate … a brighter tomorrow is never too late for anyone.

I hope your year’s started well. My first days of 2021 were spent at a tiny place called Bealiba, in the goldfields region of Victoria.

Years ago miners flocked to this area to find their fortune. Today fossickers still come up here to try their luck, but we’re not looking for gold. Instead, we find something even more precious.

The Bealiba reservoir sits amongst this dry, gold mining landscape like a watery vision from heaven, reflecting clouds in the still water. The lake isn’t huge but it’s big enough. It’s picturesque, clean, as warm as a baby’s bath and home to birds and water lilies. Our camp spot on the edge of it was an unexpected find.

NEW DAY, NEW BEGINNING

As I write this, back at home in a semi-normal routine, I reflect on the never ending changes going on in the outside world. Every day there’s new narratives changing the way we live. However, we’re heading into a new timeline of consciousness, a heightened energetic era and I love the fact that, not only do we get to watch it from the side-lines, this epic movie that we’re all in, but we also have a say in how we want to react to it, creating our own story line.

There’s so much happening that will soon come to the surface. For now, today, whenever you’re reading this, simply remember that it’s a new day, a new month, a new year, a new everything that’s magical. The energies are expansive. Everything is fresh. We don’t need to be camped in nature to feel it.

A fresh start isn’t a new place, it’s a new mindset.

Whatever chaos continues to unfold in the outer world, our inner world doesn’t need to reflect it. For me reality is all about living life with mindful awareness and seeing each encounter as an opportunity to practice making good choices. Life is not always pretty, but even ordinary moments with potential for disharmony can be met with grace and empathy. And those special times, well they should be relished to the full with no guilt or holding back, like our first dinner of 2021.

It was a mild summers night with a slight breeze and the changing sky was like an artists easel. Dinner was spicy salmon (barbecued by the hubby) with lemon rice, a Caesar salad and accompanied by a semi chilled Chardonnay. We both agreed nothing had ever tasted so good and there was no better setting. Simple pleasures.

GREY SKIES AND SHADOW WORK

The next day I woke to a grey moody sky and a sense of change in the air. We decided it was a perfect time to explore the surrounding gold rush towns. One detour took us to Mt Moliagul, a rugged uphill drive to the summit, accompanied by kangaroos along the way.

The views were stunning but even more spectacular was the force from up above. With a storm approaching, lightning cracking on the ridge and thunder reverberating it was mother nature at her most dramatic.

As I stood at the summit I felt small, humbled, unnerved and utterly exhilarated as nature unfolded around me. Light pierced through the dark clouds, proving that, although we might stand in the middle of a storm, we can be calm and at peace.

It felt renewing, replenishing, cleansing. And that’s honestly how I felt as we drove back down the mountain and the rain continued. It was like it was washing away all the crap of the past year. It was torrential at times, as though nature was proving her force. “Respect me” she could have been saying. “Protect our precious earth”.

SWIM, RENEW, REFRESH

Much later that day, back at camp, we swam in the reservoir. From stormy to calm, nature is fickle and I’m sure she likes to play with us. The water was as calm as glass and that night, during dinner, I marvelled at how the weather Gods were cooperating. Hours later lightning strikes in the distance created a spectacular light show.

As we sat outside and watched it all, with Josh Groban in the background singing Remember when it rained, it was soul stirring. I’ve included his song at the bottom of this post.

Open the window of your mind. Allow the fresh air, new lights and new truths to enter. Amit Ray.

It’s a wonderful time to be alive, to appreciate this amazing, resilient earth.

Sometimes I feel like I’m watching a mega fireworks display. We can be looking in awe one minute whilst in another we can be distracted by gloom and focused on the ground. It’s all about perspective isn’t it? Right now it’s so important to keep our vibration high. When we’re aware of our thoughts, in every moment that we slip we can choose to tap into gratitude again and get back on track.

CLEANSE AND RELEASE

Sometimes I feel like I haven’t grown up! Here I am being a big kid on this tyre near our campsite. I’ve never been able to resist a swing. How good is it to let loose and hang free.

Still, I can’t help thinking, looking at this photo, that I’m holding on a bit tightly. Maybe this year is one to let go, to release all the things that don’t serve me anymore. Can you relate to that, to being stuck in ways of thinking that have us on autopilot? Let’s make this a year of doing what we LOVE instead of always playing it safe and predictable.

Life expands when we see the possibilities and potential of new beginnings, when we set ourselves free from old, limited ways of thinking. For me it feels like a time to cleanse and wash myself of stagnant ways.

That’s my word for the year, Cleanse. Fresh was a close second but somehow I feel they’re intermingled. Cleansing all that’s negative and no longer serves me, a purging of all that’s dark, bringing it to light so it can be washed away. Cleansing of space and old habits, making way for newness to move in.

Are you ready for a clean start to the new year? To let go of any energies and old ways of thinking that’s kept you stuck, so you can create something even better? It’s hard to look ahead with vision and clarity when we cling to old ways.

Wherever you are, I wish you all renewed hope and faith to wash away all that’s gone before and usher in a new era of personal sovereignty and abundance.

Here’s to living with our heart wide open, knowing that whatever comes our way will be for the greatest good, for both ourselves and others. Love your life, it will have a magical, ripple effect.

In light and love

Be uplifted and cleansed by Josh Groban’s Remember When it Rained

And so the Journey continues
A page in my new 2021 Gratitude Journal.

* As an after note, the Universe has a funny way of playing with us. Having chosen ‘cleanse’ as my word of the year, today my washing machine had a fit and my laundry flooded. A cleansing I hadn’t expected!

106 thoughts on “Starting Fresh in 2021”

  4. Looks like you had a wonderful trip, the food and view look amazing! You’re definitely making ripple effects by sharing what you love, it’s inspiring! Thank you for posting 🙂

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  8. lol thought you had washer problems a while ago … cleansing is awesomely powerful, good things can be found under our layers Miriam!

    Delightful post and pics as usual, glad you got a camp in 🙂

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  9. What a beautiful and refreshing post to read early in 2021! You are absolutely living your dream and embodying NewEarth, being a great example to the world. Thankyou Miriam because our energy ripples out and hypnosis’s in a new and loving way! I love you word cleanse, and giggled hearing about your flood! Sorry! Last year my word was exciting and it certainly was! I’m still wondering what word to have this year! I seem to want to continue with excitement… do you feel we can use the same words again?
    Enjoy your life, in its entirety and until soon again x love Barbara x

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    1. Barbara, I absolutely do think we can use the same word again! I share your sense of excitement for this year and really am looking forward to all that’s coming. Thank you for your lovely words here, even for your giggle, yes, I laughed too about the flood, but only afterwards! Sending you lots of love and warmest wishes for a wonderful joy filled year ahead. xx 💛

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    1. Thanks Jo. I had a laugh too, afterwards, but not at the time, I was so stressed! Hope you have a fabulous year my friend. Big hugs from me . xx😊

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  14. Hi Miriam! Thanks for this post – as I read it this morning it definitely has helped me a bit in processing what happened here in the States yesterday as it reminds me that I do have a choice in how or if I respond to this. I have not made my decision about that yet…

    I can’t believe your washer added to the energy of your word! Amazing – the Universe has a sense of humor…though I doubt it was very funny at the time. Hope all is fixed and there wasn’t too much water damage!

    Loved your photos, and your beautiful words that accompanied your post. That dinny looked DELICIOUS…and that storm! I believe we create that energy and mother nature responds. It reminded me storms we experience here…sudden…powerful…CLEANSING…and then the sun comes out and you go swimming!!
    Sending lots of good energy your way ❤

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  15. Miriam, a wonderful philospical post and I’m all for cleansing, as long as it’s not my washing machine breaking down!😀 Your trip looks amazing and the drama of the storm clouds is stunning – I can sense the raw energy of the storm! Ahh … what a wonderful simple but delicious fare by the lake and it must be great to be out making trips again. I love the photo of you on the tyre swing – I think the best way to live life is never to lose that inner child! How boring our lives would become otherwise without it! Here’s to a Happier and safer 2021!😀❤️

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  17. What a great word Miriam and your thoughts and photos share your story so well. I’ve not heard of that area before and enjoyed sightseeing with you. I’m wishing you a happy 2021 and looking forward to lots more connections with you. x

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  18. I’ve said it many times before but can’t stop myself from repeating it…I love your perspective so much, Miriam. AND I love the way you camp! I can’t imagine spending my time any other way than that if I lived there. What breathtaking scenery. I am so happy your 2021 is off to a beautiful and fresh start. I know you will do extraordinary things this year, and I can’t wait to find out what they are. Lots of hugs and love. ❤️🍷💫

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    1. Hey Tanya, you can say it as many times as you like you know, cos one day you’ll be camping with me! I just feel it in my bones. Have a wonderful year my lovely friend and I hope all of your dreams come true. Big warm hugs from here. ❤️🥂

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  19. This post really spoke to me, Miriam! With all the chaos of the past year, and, in the States, the continued political turmoil of the current year, it sometimes seems as if the world as I knew it is gone forever. But instead of trying to cling to the past, it’s time to cleanse myself of all the things I don’t need and all the habits and mindsets that hold me back. The things I really need aren’t gone and never will be….and the external chaos is beyond my control so there is no point in letting it dictate my life. As you say, we are all in control of our own stories, not by controlling the external buy by controlling how we choose to react. And when we do that, things become very hopeful indeed!

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    1. So true Ann and I really do believe that the world we once knew is gone, morphing into something new and wonderful. Like you said, the things we really need are still there within us, the love, compassion, empathy, that ‘knowing’ that we have and are all we’ll ever need … that’s what matters moving forward. I’m so glad you resonated with this post.

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  23. Hello dear Miriam, another beautifully written post about fresh starts and staying calm in the midst of a storm…and I still love swings. I now enjoy them with my granddaughter 🥰
    Happy 2021 to you my dear 🙋🏻‍♀️💞

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  24. HI, Miriam – This is such an inspiring and refreshing post to read at the start of the New Year. We do each have a say in how we want to react to the world around us. Consciously or unconsciously we all create our own storylines. Thank you for this very thought-provoking post and the numerous gems that it contains. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2021.

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    1. Hi Donna, thanks for reading and for your lovely comment. Here’s to creating a 2021 that’s full of love, laughter, good health and joy. Happy new year! xx

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  25. “A fresh start, a clean slate…” a wonderful way to begin every day and this year. Beautiful words “…like a watery vision from heaven…”. I am thankful we do not need to be camped in nature to feel it, yet I am surrounded by nature, which brings clarity to me.

    Your ‘first dinner’ is pleasing to the eye, and it sounds like it was pleasing to the palate. Awareness, perspective, gratitude, vibration high………..you are speaking to the choir, Miriam. Stunning photos and a great song choice. I am a fan of Josh Groban. A beautiful, hopeful post sharing your wisdom and your energy. Thank you!

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    1. What a lovely comment Erica, thank you! We truly have so much to be thankful for. I know there’s a lot of turmoil around the world at the moment but I also sense that we’re heading into an amazing time of true enlightenment. Every day really is a fresh start. Glad you enjoyed my post and song choice. Josh Groban is amazing isn’t he and that song so powerful. Have a great week ahead! 😊

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  27. That looks like a beautiful spot Miriam. Don’t you find that you are more attuned to the weather when you are camping. You are closer to it, not behind glass with a solid roof. Now those gold seekers, well some were my ancestors and one ran the Bealiba gold battery. Welshmen with dreams beyond the coal pit, some succeeded some despaired.

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    1. Oh wow, really! That’s amazing. So you have gold mining history in your heritage. I agree with you about how camping tunes you into nature and the weather, I guess that’s why I love it so much!

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  29. Happy new year Miriam. Beautiful spot to start the year and even though you were not looking for gold you found it the precious moments of life that keep us grateful and being able to escape reality to such a beautiful setting in the midst of chaos is a bless. Location, food and company all amazing. Washing away the doubts, fear and whatever tries to hold us back is a great start. Never let the kid inside you die I have not I have been told to grow up but i choose not to as I have faced grown ups problems from a very very early age so here I am getting older in the numbers of my age but getting younger in my heart and soul. Have a wonderful week and love reading your blog. Much love cris

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    1. What a beautiful comment dear Cris, thank you so much. I was just saying to someone the other day that I don’t feel my age and that age is just a number anyway. Let’s keep on playing, my lovely friend, and finding joy in those simple every day moments. Big hugs and much love back. xx

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  31. Love your word for the new year, Miriam – unfortunate that your washing machine decided to do express it the way it did!

    Thank you for sharing your restorative trip to Bealiba – such wonderful scenery. My favourite is the one of you on the tire swing …. I hope we never really grow up.

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  32. Miriam, your opening line certainly sets the tone not only for the rest of the post but also reassured anyone who had a smidgen of doubt to focus on greater possibilities that are closer than they appear.

    One word that also spoke to me was ‘mindset.’ Having the right mindset keeps us inspired and focused, affirms our dreams, and reminds us of our inherent potential in a hopeful and empowering way.

    Thank you for penning and sharing this stirring and timely piece.

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    1. You’re very welcome Josiah. Thank you for such a thoughtful reply. I’m glad that my post spoke to you and yes, keeping a positive mindset has never been as important as it is right now.

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  33. At this point in time, at least in this country, things are not so inspired as I would like. Time will tell if we are to become something we never started out to become, and the mood of the masses may turn from disgruntled to maddened in an instant. Though my heart aches for better days ahead my mind prepares for much worse. Like you my optimism is ever present but my cynicism cannot be pushed asunder by it. I feel it wise to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Wish us luck.

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    1. In wishing you luck I wish the whole world luck because what will unfold in the USA will flow on to have effects to the rest of the world. Better days lie ahead my friend. I live in perpetual hope.

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  34. Simple pleasures truly are the sweetest. That looks like a wonderful place to breathe in the glory of nature. I. LOVE. YOUR. WORD!! Cleanse! So perfect! I’ve been doing some meditations focused on clearing out the gunk. Sorry that the Universe had a laugh with your washer though!! Sending much love, my friend. xx

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  35. Very thought provoking post, Miriam. I am in tears and covered in goosebumps. I haven’t declared a word for this year but yours is perfect. I did change the name of my blog to Heaven on Earth. Perhaps that is all that is required of me. I have reflected so much as why I WAS afraid or why I WAS tossing and turning in my sleep. The answers came, I let go and moved forward. When I was asked to immerse in Twitter, oh friend, NEVER do I wish to do that again. God help me, it was torture to be exposed to those lower vibrations. Getting permanently suspended was a Blessing and a sign it is NOW time for me to return to my Comfort Zone. I shone too brightly there and I was seen for what I was doing …. spreading love. Now I am back, stronger then ever, more confident and sure of exactly who I AM and why I AM here. The pieces to the puzzle I have been seeking answers for all of my life(!) fell into place yesterday. I have more to the story coming.
    Your pictures gave me goosebumps especially the storm one. Just writing about it I am again covered in goosebumps. I am so so grateful you are in my life. Someday we will meet as we learn how to travel without the use of airplanes. Keep playing. And send that energy out everywhere!! Sending so much love to you and your hubby!! xo

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    2. Oh Amy, I love the new name of your blog, Heaven on Earth, how absolutely perfect! Yes my friend, I feel that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be and that you’ve gone through what you’ve gone through to reach this state. God and the Universe works in mysterious ways. Keep shining your light and I look forward very much to reading your next story. In the meantime I’m still camping and immersed in nature but when I get home i’ll be sharing more of Mother Nature’s magic. Am so happy you’re in my life too. Stay well and happy. I’m sending big hugs and much love your way. xxx ❤️🌹

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  36. Your uplifting (and happy) words have lifted my tired spirit, Miriam! There’s a winter sun shining outside and I can hardly wait to step out and “cleanse” the sadness that settled on me today (too much news!). Thank you!

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    1. Oh my friend, stay away from the mainstream news, it’s toxic to the soul. Enjoy that winter sun and fresh air, that’s what’s real. I’m glad my words helped. Sending big, warm summer hugs your way. xx

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      1. I had a very restorative walk after reading your post, Miriam!
        The sun is out again today and guess what, I’ll be heading out for another beautiful winter walk knowing that your summer hugs aren’t too far away…

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  38. Ciao ciao my gorgeous lioness and all-around-fabulous amica, oh my you wow me with every single piece you write!!! Sublime, my friend – from your gorgeous pics (I LOVE that picture of yours on the tyre, what a great shot!), to your marvelous descriptions and deep insights, to the awesome music and quotes. I feel your writing has a healing quality to itself, it seems to literally re-center me every time I read your words. Thank you for the beautiful work you do, on yourself, and in the world!! I am your fan my friend 💕💕💕 Loved your statement “A fresh start isn´t a new place, it´s a new mindset.” Amen to that! And I so resonate with what you are writing here regarding the importance of “Cleansing” – I have been talking to Mike about how I am clearly feeling the importance of “clearing” in the last weeks… Here´s to clearing out old debris and outdated patterns of thoughts, behaviors, energies… and to co-creating magic and miracles my friend:) Love ya. Big hugs e tanti baci 💕💕💕

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    1. Oh Maria Elena, my beautiful amica, I’ve been thinking of you a lot recently. And here you are! Thank you for the deeply heartfelt words you wrote, which I feel to my core and which brought a tear to my eye. You know I value our friendship so much, though we’ve never met, I feel so close to you. Big hugs cara and wishing you all the beauty, love, light, clarity and freshness that this year will bring. A thousand baci. xx 💕

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  39. Aww my sweet friend, thank you for thinking of me and for your warm and open heart! I treasure our friendship so much, too, and feel such a kinship with you! Anam cara:) So happy to seeing you out and about and enjoying all the wonders that your beautiful state has to offer. Btw, I have been thinking of you, too – still keen on that chat, just message me whenever it feels right to you:) Ah, and just published a post on Rome – had to think of you when writing it due to your fab heritage:) Love, light, hope, and so much joy right back at ya carina. 💕💕💕

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    1. Ooh, I can’t wait to read it!! Later when I have the time to sit leisurely and really savour it, cos I know I’m gonna love it!
      And yes, I’m still super keen on that chat too. Let’s be in touch and soon. Talk soon cara. Big big hugs. xxxx 💕💫🎵🌹

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  40. Oh my goodness Miriam do I LOVE THIS! I will join you in cleansing all that no longer serves me. I’m going to flag this post to read and reread! My heartbeat quickened as I found myself resonating with every word! Thank you 🙏 Blessings to you dear Miriam 🕊☀️

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    1. Hi Christine, I’m so glad you felt and resonated with my words. The more of us that cleanse and purge all that doesn’t serve us the better. Thank you! And blessings to you too my lovely friend. 🙏

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