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The Gallery will be closed June 3rd, June 4th & June 5th due to an exhibition change over. Thank you for your understanding.

Beginning of Endings

The beginning of endings, sounds like a song or even a great title for a poem.  It seems like an ominous stage full of drama, anticipation and mystery regarding the upcoming unknown. As we head deeply into fall, leaves now gone we are in the season of ending. November is a take stock month, remembering and getting ready to let go of the year coming to a close behind us. And yet the end is a confusing place to be, the emotional roller coaster in the process of wrapping things up. As ending implies, there is a deadline approaching that creates a sense of urgency and a call to action. It gives rise to a number of different feelings, the feeling of relief from the exhaustion of the work we have done, to the feeling of excitement about the final product or outcome of the fruits of our labour. At the same time it also brings feelings of dread of awaiting the unknown and also some sadness of missing what has already transpired and what has been lost and the time now long gone. 

The hardest of all is in the reckoning regarding the quality and outcome of what has been achieved and reviewing this in light of matching it up against our original grand vision and expectations we had at the beginning for this year. The end is about the ebb and flow of what has been completed and the blossoming of new goals and plans for the future, letting go of what has or has not been accomplished and being open to the next beginning.

 

We need to change our perspective and see that the endings are the first step into a new journey. If we see this then EVERYTHING CHANGES and stirs excitement and creates anticipation of what is to come. It can transform our perspective from dreading endings, and the image of leaving things behind. Instead we can focus on the momentum to propel us forward into new year and new beginnings as we celebrate our achievements, and live in a state of wonderment, awe and gratitude regardless of the circumstances. What helps us embrace ambiguity of endings is to take stock regularly, a reminder to help keep our focus and a way to us open and flexible to adjusting as required.

4 Key Success Factors to Navigate Endings

Keep your mind and heart open on the lookout

A key success factor is scouting out the next “new“ beginning. Throughout the journey there is a strong need to know what is next, what awaits on the horizon. Whether we are at the beginning moving to the middle or in the middle heading towards the ending, what keeps us going is the anticipation of what is waiting for us around the bend.

Accept you may only have a short glimpse of the path ahead

Another success factor is accepting that we may only have a short glimpse of our paths ahead. Like driving a car late at night on a dark country road, the headlights can only illuminate so much on our life journey.

Be okay in not knowing

A third key success factor is to trust the process and being okay in the not knowing. All we can do is to prepare and be equipped to make the road trip. Yes, there are detours in the middle and all along the way that may in fact lead to peaceful places unexpectedly. We need to be prepared to accept the surprises, after all that is the wonder and spice of life.

Reflect on your journey

Endings are also a signal that we have achieved another milestone, arrived at our destination and the journey is complete.  It is a time for reflection and assessment. It is a time to start planning for the next destination. If it is not the right ending we can still change our story, just program the next destination and recalibrate. After all, the ending is a fluid process. It is like a revolving door – an entrance and an exit all at the same time!

The end can signal the finish line, but it’s also a time to take stock on the process of how we got here. Did we put in our best, giving it our all and not feeling as if we got shortchanged in our journey? It is important to recollect, reflect and document. This helps to gauge and validate our journey by documenting the learning and passing it over to the new state – can help us to embrace a continuum, which forms the cycle of the beginning, the middle and the end. The ending is more than about that first step past the finished line, it is about remembering the journey to this point, savouring the glory of making it to here and the celebration that awaits on the other side.

Endings can be place of happiness, excitement or sadness and dread, depending on state of events, our state of mind and our state of being. At the crossroads of the end we can stand and look both ways before crossing over to the next phase. We need to look left to see where we have been, and what we have accomplished. We need to look within and see how far we have come and reflect on who we are becoming.  Lastly, we need to look right to see what lies ahead and what is possible, unattached to the outcome, letting go of control and steering through the choices and possibilities that are presented along the path. Anything is possible if we are willing to BE, giving us the freedom to start again and arriving at the way forward. Even though the end may not be what we expected, its many twists and turns put in motion perhaps a more fascinating journey than we could have ever anticipated.

November is a long way away from the beginning of the year, where goals were set, resolutions and checklists were made. As we reflect and close out another year, we can start to set our sights on the new horizon ahead 2023!

Let us remain flexible and open; have a plan, but be okay with dropping both our plan and routine; be present in full awareness and accept what shows up.  In the end, endings are really about moving on into new possibilities and letting go. It’s about not getting stuck looking backward but looking forward towards a new beginning – what is next, what is possible. Endings are just another beginning. The real question is when is “the end” really the END.

No two journeys are the same. Through it all we need to define what our unique process is in our terms then embrace it and own it. As we move into the last month of 2022, let us take aim to support our wellbeing, not resist the process of change and celebrate what was and be open to possibilities that await us.  

Celebrations are an important component of our ending rituals – if you are planning a year end celebration check out our website for rental opportunities and come and celebrate at Joshua Creek. We have corporate event packages, wedding and celebration packages, parties and receptions. We offer a wide range of activities, art workshops and holistic courses to go along with your celebration event that can be customized to meet your celebration needs. Email info@joshuacreekarts.com for more information.

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