Why is it so hard to see beyond what’s happening right now?

The current situation of our world is frightening. It almost feels as if we have set foot on a new planet. A planet where people are isolated and the majority of their connection is virtual, as they spend most of their days interacting through devices and online platforms. “Want to Zoom?” has replaced “Let’s get together.” And when people do go out to stores, they wear masks and adhere to lines of tape on the floors and signs reminding them to “Be smart and keep 6 feet apart.”

These times are unprecedented. There are so many unknowns hanging over our heads, which is a big reason it can be difficult to see an end in sight, or better: A new beginning.

But there has always been an end in sight. That’s why sayings like, “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel” exist.

Just like there is an end to almost everything, there is always a new beginning. Novelist Barbara Kingsolver says, “Hope is a renewable option: If you run out of it at the end of the day, you get to start over in the morning.”

Today is Easter Sunday, and I saw a beautiful example of starting over and renewal.

We originally had hosta plants in our front yard but had the landscape redone a few years back. Black tarp was laid and heavy beach rocks thrown on top for the new landscape design, yet each year those hosta plants find a way to push through. Well, this morning when I stepped outside, those little hosta leaves had sprouted overnight once again through the tarp and stones. The fact that they appeared on Easter morning is symbolic of new life.

What if this pandemic – this situation we are all in right now – is our reset, and we will experience something new and better on the other side?

But this pandemic is not the only time we struggle seeing beyond our current circumstances. We struggle believing in what we cannot see on every level and in all areas of our lives.

For example, people who live paycheck to paycheck have a hard time believing they could ever be a millionaire. And those who have been single for most of their lives struggle believing they’ll ever find true love.

Then there’s that invisible barrier that many stand behind, believing they’re not good enough, and so they settle for mediocre.

The reason it’s hard to believe in something you don’t have evidence for is we’re so anchored in the past.

The past is our reference point, our sense of safety. Whether good or bad, the past is familiar, and our brain craves safety and familiarity.

An anchor goes deep and secures things like ships, forcing them to stay in one place despite the strong current of the ocean. Anchors are strong, and so are the chains that bind.

This is why one thought like, I’m not good enough, can keep a person tied down and stuck in all the stories that support this belief.

Imagine that every memory or event that you somehow tie to your worth is a link on the chain latched to that anchor. You could see why it’s so hard to move too far forward in your life. Sure, we fight our way to get ahead. We take steps, but often the path from point A to point B is long and slow.

Sometimes we get there, but other times we stay standing in the same situation, or the story we tell ourselves, for 20 years.

How many people do you know who can’t seem to hold a job or keep a relationship? They always seem to find themselves in the same situation but with different players. The same low-paying job with a different difficult boss who doesn’t understand them. Or attracting the same non-committal partners with a different face who doesn’t care for them.

The reason someone finds themselves in these similar scenarios is they’re so tied to their past, they just keep attracting people and circumstances that keep them in their “familiar” zone.

How do you break free from the past? How do you see beyond your current circumstance?

Well, to start, creating something new requires you to consciously choose to think differently. This requires courage, consistency, commitment, and radical optimism. You have to decide to stay in the present moment and acknowledge what’s good and feel grateful for that. You also must be willing to use your imagination to see beyond what’s right in front of you and allow every win and little bit of growth to be evidence of what’s possible and anchor you into your bright future.

With focus and willingness to forge ahead, you’ll suddenly find yourself on the other side, beyond what you only knew. There will come the day when you can look back with a sense of peace and gentleness and say, If only I knew how great it’d be over here, I would have changed a long time ago. BE the change you want.

Start now! Begin to question everything you ever thought was true. What if you let life be easy? What if you chose to be amazed? What if something better awaits you? Give yourself permission to believe and see your life, love, and business in a new way.