Life is one continuous movement after another, a dance as the soul grows and evolves. That dance is a process that involves endings as well as new beginnings, and at the seat of that process is change. It’s easy to feel safe by holding on to fond memories or the shelter in comfort of what we already have because we know exactly what to expect. It may not be what we desire, but it’s predictable, which beats the alternative of having to face our fears or put closure to the past. That safety can come with a catch when we deny the true expression of our spirit.

Sometimes change can be dramatic, circumstances happen that are outside of our control. We may never fully understand the purpose behind why things happen and endings occur. What’s important is that we know to trust in our hearts to provide us with meaning and purpose.

We may end up where we find ourselves at crossroads in life, realizing that we are unable to connect with our sense of fulfillment, making it hard to receive spiritual or emotional gratification from our experiences. It becomes harder and harder to give freely of ourselves to the point where we don’t have anything left to give. Even though we might have a strong desire to change our conditions, we settle, rationalizing everything into judgments, making excuses that provide reasons to stay.

We settle in order for us to maintain the fantasy. The danger in denial is we become apathetic. We are no longer manifesting from our desires, but creating from habits, limiting our experience as we serve these obligations. Endings can be frightening and somewhat painful but to remain in a situation that makes us unhappy is toxic, not only to ourselves but to our inspiration. It’s vital to listen to our hearts when it says that we are making choices for the wrong reasons, when those decisions no longer serve us.

There is a tremendous amount of freedom as we free ourselves from the judgments we get trapped in. We can get back on the path towards finding peace of mind by letting go of doubt, shame, and worry. It’s a flat out fallacy to think that control is a means to getting what we want. Trust in the belief that as one door shuts, another door opens. Change doesn’t mean we stop just because our plans did.

There are times when change means that we may have to surrender loved ones as part of our passage and we struggle with judgment or the guilt that we feel as a result of our choice. Leaving feels a lot like betrayal so we hold ourselves back to avoid hurting others. But the truth is that no one is served when we discount our feelings. We no longer act out of love for ourselves when we sacrifice our needs for the desires of another. We should trust that perhaps the most loving thing we can do is to allow the space and the freedom for them to be happy, to be loved in the way that they deserve to be loved.

Sometimes we need to let go because we don’t have a choice. The onset of health problems or the loss of a job can wreak havoc into our lives. An uncertain future can literally leave us hanging in the balance, feeling vulnerable and exposed. We may find ourselves on the receiving end of a divorce or the close of a friendship, left trying to fill the void of their presence. Part of the process of surrender comes as we liberate from the perceptions that being complete has anything to do with external sources. They don’t… they only can if allow it.

We are the vessels, full of the potential for self-love which means that we are the source of own feelings and to our own creativity. Think about the dynamics behind unrequited love. Those feelings are not reciprocated. Sometimes they are not even known to others. Someone may not know about how we feel or even to what extent but it will not change anything about where we stand emotionally; our feelings are no less real then if they were standing in front of us. So end the notion that anyone else can be the source to what brings you happiness.

The same beauty that we look for can be found in our own recognition, it’s the same way we experience our beauty through the eyes of loved ones; they fell in love with everything that is wonderful about you. That’s your reflection you see in the mirror.

Live your own joy and be your own best friend. If you seek adoration, then find it within yourself. You can fall in love with who you are when you live fully connected to your purpose. Go within yourself to find the courage to face the unknown.

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain wrapped tightly in the bud was far more painful than the risk that it took to blossom.” This quote from Anais Nin expresses that taking the risks is what opens us to our magnificence if we simply let go and just be.

Risk the healing. Be open to the possibility of transformation. It’s impossible to be proud of something we have not yet achieved.

We can choose happiness. Through our choices we decide what we are willing to accept and what we are willing to release, but life will continue whether of not we choose deal with our choices. By finding courage, we move through a process of closure that offers the discovery of gems that are unique; miracles that are found in the exploration of new beginnings that open us to the depths of our potential.

I believe that forgiveness is not about letting go of someone or some thing. Forgiveness is about releasing the part of our emotional self that clings to the past, or holds too tightly to fears. We can even hold onto judgments from the ego out of the need to be right, like when we fight for our cause. If you have a situation you struggle with, ask yourself… is this relationship in my life growing, or has it decayed? Does it still serve you or make you feel drained? Trust that you are the Source and the guide to everything you need… in simply letting go.

I have included a wonderful forgiveness ritual that directs us in releasing old attachments. It also aids to relinquish the power that a situation may have dominion over us. Try this affirmation during the balsamic phase of a solar, lunar, or planetary cycle or any time there is a new beginning or cycle.

There are three affirmations. Say them in order, three times each, for a total of nine statements. Nine is the number related to endings but we live a cyclical reality where endings pave the way for our new beginnings.