Do you celebrate beginnings and endings? If not, now could be the time to start. Think of life as transformation, something new from what ends. These tips may help.
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca.
Simple Ways to Celebrate Beginnings and Endings
Why is it necessary to celebrate beginnings and endings? Consider that everything has a beginning and an end: chapters in a book, seasons of the year, life’s births and deaths.
While some fear both, why be afraid of either? Whether you grew up fearing change or welcoming it, one thing is sure: Things constantly change. There will be beginnings even as there are endings. How we choose to embrace or avoid them is up to us. You can learn how to accept change and embrace it.
You Always Make the Choice
The good news is that you do possess this choice. This is liberating because you’re not locked into some predetermined result. Furthermore, you will enjoy the benefits or experience the consequences based on what you do or don’t do.
Knowing you have the power to affect outcomes is also tremendously motivating. Learning and accepting this will help you make the best decisions in life.
How to Overcome Fear of Beginnings and Endings
Still, we may fear beginnings and endings. Why are we so loath to embrace what is just beginning and let go of what is ending?
- Could it be that you feel somehow diminished by loss? Consider the loss of a friend, loved one, a job, financial devastation, social standing, or stature in the community.
- Does the unknown tie you in knots, and you feel unprepared, or unwilling to accept it?
These are normal human emotions that everyone has. For example, who hasn’t felt anguish over the death of someone dear? Who has never experienced doubt or fear over how to cope with a complex problem?
While feeling fear, anger, doubt, insecurity, and even denial over beginnings and endings is normal, excitement, curiosity, determination, motivation, and interest are also normal. You have many emotions that surface, yet it’s up to you which ones you choose to run with. Besides, when you learn how to manage powerful emotions best, you gain emotional strength.
Next Step in How to Celebrate Beginnings and Endings
Think of the end of a book chapter. If it interests you, you can’t wait to turn the page to see what will happen. Besides, your eagerness motivates you to keep going.
It may be that the new chapter contains an ending at the beginning, but this leads to yet another beginning before another ending. And so on, as the cycle continues. Your satisfaction at the end of the book depends on your reactions to all of the parts.
However, even this doesn’t detract from the book’s ending, because you come away with a residual feeling. If you don’t like the ending, you may avoid books by this author, yet you easily go on to read another book by a different author. This is an ending that leads to another beginning.
Some helpful tips to celebrate beginnings and endings:
- Accept and embrace change, for it is a constant in life.
- Look for the positive in every beginning and ending – it’s there, although you may have to search for it.
- Celebrate life in all its glory and imperfection. Learn to create your joy in life.
- Forgive yourself first. This makes it easier to forgive others and move on. Remember that forgiveness is essential to living a meaningful life.
- If you mourn an end, welcome a beginning.
- Finally, help others who may need assistance reconciling endings and beginnings. Besides, being of service to others is the essence of humanity, being of service to others.
