Turning Emptiness Into Openness

It is important to honor what we have lost, but loss can also represent a new beginning.

When something happens in our lives that causes a loss, the feeling can be quite overwhelming. The feelings of pain, loss and separation can be difficult to handle, and there is suddenly a void in our lives that we ache to fill. It is important to take time to process and honor the loss, but we have to remember that loss can also be an opportunity for a new beginning. It is when we have processed the loss that we can look at it as a chance to experience something new....whether it be a new relationship, job, dreams, people, and new and exciting ways to grow and become stronger, better people.

Often, people too quickly rush to fill the void.... since filling it with anything can mask the pain that we feel. This is when some people turn to unhealthy habits, or rush into a new relationship that one is not actually ready to have. The loss of a job, although extremely difficult in the current economy, can be an opportunity to explore a new career path....particularly if you've grown out of or become bored with the old one. The loss of a relationship can provide the opportunity to learn more about yourself....take time to re-evaluate what you want in a new relationship, and to meet new people with similar interests.

You may have difficulty at first trying to view a bad situation as something positive.... but realize that you are not dishonoring your experience or replacing the loss in an unhealthy, cold-hearted way. In life we sometimes have to let go and allow something new to enter our lives, and new opportunities and experiences to present themselves. By viewing loss in a positive light, after you've processed the experience, you are adopting a positive attitude, which will attract new and better experiences. Welcome these new gifts with an open mind and an open heart.

The wheel turns and every loss opens the door to a new beginning.