Ending That Which No Longer Serves Us
Ending that which no longer serve us.
One of the best books I’ve read is called Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud. Recommended to me by my Bishop, it was the answer to my current state of uncertainty and transition. Written by a best-selling author, psychologist, and leadership coach, this book is a guide to ending what needs to end for one to have a life of growth and health.
I finished this book in a short period of time. Soon I began to see the situations in my life that needed to end. Quite frankly, it made my heart race.
I saw there were relationships I needed to re-evaluate. I realized I was convincing myself to remain in some relationships that were no longer serving me well. There also were truths about some situations that made me anxious and worried.
In my adult life, there are people I have met and opportunities I have received because I listened to my instincts. In that season, everything around me was telling me I was nuts, yet my instinct and God kept telling me to move forward. I let go of some stuff to make room for the unknown that was to come.
Chapter 3, of Necessary Endings, titled “Normalizing Necessary Endings: Welcome the Seasons of Your Life in Worldview,” addresses this very subject. Cloud shares how we are conditioned to believe that things last forever, and that if they do not last, then we have somehow failed. Because of this conditioning, the idea of normalizing endings is hard to grasp.
Are we pruning our lives to allow growth in areas to become who God is calling us to be? Are we listening to old tapes playing in our minds reinforcing self-doubt and fear? Are we listening to family and friends who speak negativity into our dreams and goals? The pruning process is natural and part of life. For a rose bush to flourish, it must be pruned.
God wants us to experience a life filled with joy. He doesn’t want us to walk around as one carrying dead weight. What if your life is not about you but your testimony of what God can do with one who trusts Him and the pruning process?
When I began writing, I knew my success required a committed block of writing time per week. As I began, my writing conflicted with my strict workout schedule. I tried waking earlier in the morning and staying up late to fit in writing time. That was exhausting. I began to feel less inspired to write. I decided to adjust my workout schedule, which allowed me more writing time while meeting my health goals. Soon my inspiration returned, and I got the physical activity I needed.
We need to learn to stop listening to those old tapes and negative people. Work toward ending the dead. Leave that mundane job. Stay away from so-called friends who only leave you depleted of all energy.
If you feel a burning in your gut telling you there is something more, write it down and say a prayer. The fullness of life is out there waiting for you. Move toward it!
