I have a fresh start, now that I've turned 18, which feels like

The musician and poet Cody Simpson, standing at the threshold between youth and adulthood, once said: “I have a fresh start, now that I’ve turned 18, which feels like such a symbolic age of independence and hopefully a new phase of my life.” In these words lies not only the joy of youth awakening to possibility but also a truth as old as humanity itself — that every generation must cross the river of childhood into the open sea of independence, where one must learn to steer by the stars of one’s own choosing. His reflection captures that sacred moment when the heart realizes that freedom is both a gift and a burden, and that a “fresh start” is not given by time alone, but earned by courage, growth, and intention.

At its heart, Simpson’s quote speaks of rebirth — the act of becoming new while still carrying the wisdom of what has been. The age of eighteen, in the modern world, is seen as a gateway: a passage into adulthood, a symbol of self-governance, responsibility, and choice. Yet this transition, though celebrated with ceremony and joy, has always existed in the hearts of humankind, long before laws or numbers marked it. The ancients too knew of such moments — the rites of passage that transformed children into adults, apprentices into masters, dreamers into doers. In that moment, the world expands, and one begins to ask not “Who must I be?” but “Who shall I become?”

The origin of this sentiment can be traced to a universal human longing: the desire for renewal. Every soul, at some point, yearns for a fresh start, a chance to cast aside old limitations and step forward with new strength. When Simpson speaks of a new phase, he is invoking the same spirit that inspired countless generations before him to break free from the confines of their youth. The great philosophers of Greece called it paideia — the education of the soul through experience — and they knew that independence was not simply freedom from others, but mastery over oneself.

Consider, for example, the story of Alexander the Great. When he came of age, his father, King Philip of Macedon, declared, “My son, seek a kingdom worthy of thyself, for Macedonia is too small for thee.” It was not merely a command to conquer, but an invitation to grow beyond the boundaries of childhood. Like Simpson’s turning of the page at eighteen, Alexander’s passage into manhood marked his new phase of life, one driven by vision, ambition, and self-belief. Yet with that freedom came immense responsibility — the realization that greatness requires discipline, and that independence is not escape, but ownership.

So too in our own lives, the symbolic age of independence is more than a number; it is a calling. It reminds us that the world no longer defines us — we must define ourselves. This freedom can be exhilarating, but it is also daunting. To have a “fresh start” is to face a blank page, and to write upon it requires both wisdom and will. Some fear that emptiness, but the brave embrace it, knowing that life renews itself through choice. For independence is not given once and for all; it must be claimed daily through the courage to act, to fail, and to rise again.

The spirit of renewal Simpson expresses is not confined to youth. Every person, at every age, can awaken to a fresh start — after failure, after loss, after the long sleep of complacency. To begin again is the most human act of all. When we turn the page — whether at eighteen or eighty — we rediscover that life is not a fixed path, but a series of new phases, each demanding a deeper understanding of who we are and what we wish to become. The independence he celebrates is not merely legal or social; it is the freedom of the soul to evolve, to shed what no longer serves, and to pursue what is true.

Let this then be the lesson: every new beginning is sacred, but it demands commitment. To seek independence is not to abandon guidance, but to take responsibility for one’s destiny. As Simpson reminds us, youth is the dawn of self-discovery — but the light of that dawn must be tended with wisdom, humility, and resolve. If you would claim your “fresh start,” do so not by fleeing from the past, but by learning from it. Build upon it as the ancients built temples from the ruins of old stones.

Thus, when we hear Cody Simpson’s words — “a fresh start… a symbolic age of independence” — we are reminded that every life has its turning points. They come not only with age, but with awareness. When you feel the pull of a new beginning, answer it with courage. Step into your next phase not with fear, but with purpose. For independence is not the end of guidance, but the beginning of wisdom — and every fresh start, if met with faith and discipline, is the rebirth of the soul itself.