There has to be endings to create new beginnings. An old year ends and a New Year begins, full of promises of change and new experiences. Mitch Albom, author of “The Five People You Meet in Heaven,” wrote: “All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.”
It’s a great way to look at endings in our lives. Some endings, such as the death of a loved one, will leave you sad, but if you can accept it as an entire host of good memories and eventually go on with what the new beginnings have in store for you, you’ll live a happier and more fulfilled life.
Each step in your life is necessary for you to continue growing. The end of high school or college signifies the beginning of an adult lifestyle and possibly a career that you’ve studied for.
Every New Year is an opportunity for you to sit down and figure out what you want to do differently this year that will make you a better and happier person. Do you want to lose weight, quit smoking, move on to another job? Now is the time to rethink and reset your goals and make the necessary changes in your life.
An ending can only come when you let go of thinking about them. When negative things get to be beyond your control, you’ve got to distance yourself and begin to make a space for the positive. Otherwise, it will interfere with the future you want to have and keep you from making the changes you need to make.
Get a grip on the reality of endings. You don’t have to like all of them, but you do need to accept the reality of what they are. If you don’t learn to accept endings to allow for new beginnings, you could simply give up and that would mean unhappiness and a lifetime of regrets.
Think about things in a new way. You may think of yourself as “set in your ways,” about certain things, but you have the right to change your mind if something occurs (such as more knowledge) to tilt your thinking another way. Sometimes it helps to gain a fresh perspective on life and let go of old beliefs.
Remember, if you don’t take chances, change isn’t possible. You can hold on to the good things in your life, but if a new idea triggers excitement and fulfillment in your life, try it. If you don’t, you may regret it.
