Celebrate the ENDINGS

We often perceive hope as one of the greatest things. And, it IS amazing.

I have very profound hopes and dreams. I have often been accused of being an optimist.

And yet, there is a difference between optimism and false hope.

False hope can be incredibly destructive.

If a farmer simply HOPES the harvest will last forever, he will be devastated by the winter.

If I HOPE my car will keep running without oil changes, I will be shocked when my engine blows up.

If a business owner HOPES to only have booming months, he will be rocked by a dry spell.

If I HOPE my house will never need a repair, I will be blindsided by my furnace giving out.

If an employer HOPES an employee won’t make the same mistake for the hundredth time, she will feel let down when it does indeed happen again.

If I HOPE my alcoholic loved one will not slip up again, I will feel crushed by that next binge.

If a dvd business HOPES there will be a continued demand for their product, it will be unprepared and unable to adapt.

If a partner suffering from domestic violence HOPES he will keep his promises this time, she will suffer the cruel consequences of the same pattern she has experienced for years.

If the fire department acts on a HOPE there will be no fires, many needless losses will occur.

If I HOPE my dead rose bush will revive itself if I keep watering it, I will waste a lot of my resources and time, ending in frustration.

We have been trained to think endings are failures. We have been trained to hold onto hope, no matter what, even when that hope is literally keeping us stuck in destructive situations.

Endings however, are part of our natural life experience. Death of people, relationships, jobs, chapters and seasons are all MEANT to serve us and usher us into the next experience. Endings are NECESSARY. Seasons are NECESSARY. Letting go is NECESSARY. Pruning is NECESSARY.

Hope is beautiful and it gets to be channeled into the things where life is longing to flow and flourish.

Don’t be afraid to prune and prune generously. Things that are dead, dying, or growing in a very different direction than you want to go do not deserve your hope and prolonging. They deserve to be pruned and released, so your energy and attention can flow to the relationships, dreams, and experiences you long to have.

We often walk around feeling suppressed and weighed down by the dead baggage we have been unwilling to cut off. We attempt to force things to work the way they once did. We refuse to acknowledge the change that has occurred or the season that has ended. We tell ourselves if we just hope and believe hard enough, we can skip winter.

It is time to stop resisting endings. It is time for us to stop telling ourselves endings are failures. Embrace them. Release with gratitude. With love. Invite in the new. Honor the seasons.

What endings get to happen in your world? What has already let go of you, that you now get to let go of?

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