Rough Openings
Whoa, this is a rough Opening. It is asking a lot of me, and I am not sure that I know how to get through it. But I’m here and must figure this out.
The Light and Dark of Life
As much as we may like it not to be, life is a condition of contrasts –joy and sorrow, gain and loss, fun and drudgery, birth and death, courage and fear, calm and worry. Our best hope is that we have a balance of the two with a little bit more on the positive side.
If we try to deny the darker side of our life, it never serves us. The things we push down do not go away; they fester within us. At a certain point, they shapeshift and return to our consciousness in a negative form, perhaps as anger, depression or aggression. They are then much more harmful than when we first encountered them.
The darker sides of life can at times be very negative, asking for all the strength we have. However, darker does not always mean bad. It has its own value for us. The darker sides of life often present unknowns and offer adventure and growth. We learn from experiencing them. They build our wisdom about life. From the dark, we can move into even greater light.
Rough Openings
Rough Openings are ones that ask a lot of us before we can enter and make our way through them. Grief is a rough Opening. It starts with tremendous loss. What was once here is gone. We are left to go on in life without what we have had before. There is an empty hole. It is hard to see what lies ahead or believe that anything good can come from it.
Rough Openings are a challenging way to get somewhere new. They toss us around, disorient us and change us in ways we would prefer not to change. They leave us in the dark to find our own way with the wind in our face rather than at our back. Sometimes, they are the only way to get us where we need to go.
Rough Openings have a purpose the same as smoother Openings do. They are harder to navigate and show us the presence of contrasts in our existence. Can we balance the smooth and rough Openings in our lives? They come over time, usually not together. It is easier to welcome the smooth Openings even if they present challenges. However, with a shift in our perception we can welcome rough Openings too.
➟ Are you experiencing a rough Opening? Or do you see one ahead? Let my coaching support you as you encounter or anticipate a rough Opening. With this support, you will learn how to navigate rough Openings and make the most of them.
The Factor of Time
In my work with Lynn Andrews, time was often a major focus. She challenged us to change our relationship with time. For me, a lot of what was involved was to quiet my mind and to live fully in the present. Although I have not aced these two states of being, my work has made a positive difference in my ability to handle time demands, make choices and bring myself back to the present moment.
Rough Openings often take time to get through. There is a lot involved in coping with them. We first must embrace them. We must muster strength and courage to get through them. There may be a lot of learning and changing involved, which takes time. They may involve setbacks, taking even more of our time.
We may have to have patience and see the value of a rough Opening so that we can endure and summon the motivation to make it through. Each step of the Opening will get us somewhere. Impatience or too much hurrying can blunt the impact of a rough Opening. A good relationship with time is essential in dealing with rough Openings.
Getting Through Rough Openings
Here are some suggestions for getting through rough Openings:
- Accept that life consists of light and dark and that Openings reflect this.
- Get what you need when you encounter a rough Opening.
- Resolve to deal with the Opening as best you can.
- Find and identify the value of the Opening to you.
- Muster your patience and insight to help you through.
As hard as this Opening is, I can do it. I see its value and can face it rather than flee from it!
photo: Ray Bilcliff, pexels.com
Coaching for a New Era!
Find out how you can make the most of these times!
Sign Up Today for a Complimentary Call
MORE OPENINGS
Pushing Through Openings
Openings As Endings
Perspective
Archives