Openings As Endings

The last few weeks have brought some mighty challenges for me. Old issues resurfaced and demanded my attention. I thought I had dealt with and healed all of them to a large degree. I gave them my attention and persisted restating my commitment to heal. Turns out, as perplexing as it all was, these challenges resurfaced so that I could release them fully and be free. They were an Opening. – Ann

Leaving Behind

Openings often appear so that we can move forward. They offer new opportunities, change and growth. Other times, Openings are offering movement but in a different way. They ask us to stay where we are – movement is not up front. Challenge is up front and looking at where we are and have been. At the time we encounter the Opening we may not see it and even feel that we are stuck and far from an Opening.

When Openings are endings, they appear because there is something for us to do or release before we can move forward. We have to close or end something that is holding us back. We can learn to recognize these Openings and make the most of them. It as if the Opening is made to slog through rather than breeze through. We can’t make the most of the Opening without some heavy-duty effort up front.

In indigenous cultures the concept of release is central. Their traditions focus on restoring balance, releasing pain and reconnecting with the essence of who we are. Some say that we must release the things that no longer serve us before new things can come in. Continuing to hold on to them slows us down and keeps us stuck. Endings can lead us to new beginnings.

Breaking Through

Once an ending has occurred or something has been released, the Opening seems more natural and we can move through it with ease. It is like an Opening in two parts: something ends and we look to a new beginning. By releasing we have open space, giving us freedom from whatever held us back before, fresh insight and a lighter step. We can put clear focus on what the Opening is offering us and allow ourselves to move forward.

Here are some clues that can help us recognize Openings as endings.

• We want to move forward and our commitment is there, but there is anxiety or uneasiness that is present and we are not moving forward.
• We feel very stuck and can’t find our way out.
• We are encountering obstacles to moving forward that we are not overcoming.
• We feel resistance to moving forward even though we have a vision of where we want to go.

In all these cases there is something that needs to be cleared before the Opening can work for us.