| It seems that when I honor the ending, the beginning is | | | | consider that my inner promptings (which are usually |
| more joyous. I admit, I do not always remember to | | | | heart-based) guide me to where I need to be, but to |
| honor the ending. Sometimes I just want the ending to | | | | act in the midst of doubt takes guts.Sometimes pure |
| end or the beginning to begin.As infants, we end our | | | | tenacity propels me. I have often recognized that I |
| time in the womb to begin our human experience. The | | | | would not have moved to California, for example, if I |
| other day, I met a less-than-one-week-old (or is that | | | | had known what a grueling experience those first few |
| new?) baby, filled with health and wonder, beginning a | | | | years would be. I trusted the process of my inner |
| new life. He was clearly ready to begin this life, keeping | | | | guidance and bloomed where I was planted. Courage |
| his Mom in labor for only thirty minutes.I have had | | | | and trust are my keys to joy and |
| many beginnings/endings in my life. Probably not more | | | | transformation.Creative ResistanceI have not met |
| than most people. Some changes have been elegant, | | | | every life change with happy, welcoming arms. Going |
| some clumsy. Some have been so quick that I did not | | | | with kicks and screams into something new may |
| realize the transformation until it was essentially | | | | seem like a poor attitude, but such dynamics may be |
| complete, while some have seemed so slow that I | | | | precisely what I needed to propel me into the new.In |
| wondered if this is what is meant by eternity. Not all | | | | my days of training managers and others in New York |
| beginnings and endings have been sweet or desired. | | | | State Government, I learned more about dealing with |
| But each has led to more joy.Courage and TrustMany | | | | resistance than in any other setting. I learned to |
| of the planned beginnings/endings have been pure acts | | | | welcome the expression of resistance, but did not feel |
| of courage: to get married, to start a business, to go to | | | | so adept at dealing with unexpressed (passive) |
| graduate school, to leave a long-term marriage, to | | | | resistance.In the early years of my business, I offered |
| relocate my business (twice!), to move across country, | | | | experiential training programs, primarily for trainers and |
| to end non-satisfying relationships, and on and on. Even | | | | managers. A former police officer showed up the first |
| those changes that have not been planned have | | | | day of a 3-day event, loudly displaying his skepticism. |
| required courage to carry through.Of course, everyone | | | | His energy was intense, a bit unnerving for some of |
| knows that the origin for the word "courage" is "heart." | | | | the participants. But I welcomed his energy, hoping that |
| I feel that connection between courage and heart, | | | | he would find the inspiration to leave with the same |
| however, as a matter of practicality for me, I associate | | | | level of intensity, with his skepticism transformed to |
| courage more with the guts than with the heart. I | | | | enthusiasm. |