Is there a new beginning at the other side of every end? If we look at the ends with open eyes and open minds we can see them. (remember Shoshin?) Much like a wheel that goes round and round and round and round, Life never ends.
In New England, the seasons are distinctly defined. The end of one moves steadily into the start of another. Where we are now, -yes, I’m up here for a minute- the vibrant colors of the leaves, the crisp air, and the cooler temps, (I am not at all used to this anymore) signal a new beginning for Mama Nature. While she is getting ready for her new beginning of rest and renewal, some of us ‘borrow’ these changes to experience anticipation and excitement of what might be next.
The end of a sporting event is an example of an ending, whether it elicits exhilaration and satisfaction for one side, or regrets and renewed determination for the other. And as the season ends, teams and players find themselves in a new beginning of recuperation and preparation for next season, whether that be playing or a new life upon retirement.
The end of a relationship brings with it another type of new beginning. Potentially a little harder to see in the moment, and some may take a while to see what it means for them, but as they accept the situation as it is, their new beginning becomes clearer. Some see it as freedom. This observation comes from personal experience.
Some beginnings happen as we outgrow our current situation. A chick’s new beginning starts as their home, the egg, gets tight, they stretch, break out of their shells. Same with the butterfly breaking free of the chrysalis for its new beginning.
As we live our lives being focused in the moment, realize that we live in unison with life’s natural cycles. We like to mark them as endings and beginnings as that helps us make sense of it all, but, really, what we’re doing is simply living in concert with the natural order of the universe. And I think that connection is pretty cool. Just saying