“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” ~Seneca
We take from each ending the resources we need to support the next new beginning, even when the new beginning looks nothing like what came before.
You still have what it takes to build this new beginning.
“Yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that.” ~Richard Rohr
There are areas in my life where I spent years longing for something new—a new way of living, a new way of reacting, a new way of seeing life. All of that yearning was in vain until I found the courage to close the door on the old way. Only then was it possible to find a new way to move forward.
Where do you need to close the door on an old way to make it possible for the new way you are yearning for to emerge? What would it take to give you the courage to do that?
“No one likes the process of pruning and the pain of loss, but fruit only grows on new wood.” ~Leonard Sweet
I hate letting go of things or relationships or dreams … or just about anything else. Loss is painful and scary.
But I’ve also noticed that after I allow myself to prune that which is no longer helpful in my life and let go of what needs to be released, I inevitably find more space for growth and new opportunities for expansion.
Seeing that pattern re-appear so consistently time after time has begun to loosen my death grip on what I currently have so I can let go with more grace and ease over time.
“You have many habits that weaken you. The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” ~Dan Millman
As a new tree grows, it can move old pavement and rocks out of its way with its sure but steady expansion. So can new habits, firmly grounded, expand to crowd out old, less helpful habits more easily than fighting the old habits directly.
“One of the clearest signals that something healthy is afoot is the impulse to weed out, sort through, and discard old belongings.” ~Julia Cameron
I so often resist my impulses to clear things out because I’m busy and it seems like a waste of my valuable time to do this kind of work. But I’m gradually learning that these impulses are important signs that something new is ready to be born in my life, and I need to clear out to make space for it.
I’ve been purging stuff like mad the last few weeks and am already feeling lighter and more open because of it. I can’t wait to see what is waiting to be born!
When was the last time you gave in to an impulse to weed out, sort through, and discard old belongings?