Time to Say Goodbye

“How is it almost Christmas already?”

“This year has gone so fast!”

“Where has the time gone?”

We get it. Christmas trees, carol concerts, mistletoe and mulled wine. Often the festive season is one of anticipation and good old treating yourself. But as the nights start to close in, we find ourselves fearing the inevitable end of the year. Another one been and gone, passing us by. Maybe some of us live with regrets from what’s gone or fears of what another year may bring.

And this isn’t just for the bells of new year. Things in our lives come to an end all the time, whether it’s a big project, the end of a job or studies, or saying goodbye to friends who are moving away. Letting go of big things that consumed our lives is never easy.

But just like at Christmas, there is hope; and sometimes, actually most of the time, when we take note and make peace with what is ending, we open ourselves up to beautiful new beginnings.

The Fear of Change

This is at the heart of all our anxieties. Change is difficult! The thought of having to begin again, put in all the ground work, invest — it’s exhausting. And we like when things are familiar. Being around what you’ve always known is great source of comfort!

Change is not always a welcome thing.

As cliche as it sounds, our only way to combat this is to embrace change; after all, that’s what got us here in the first place. If we see change as an opportunity — to grow, to meet knew people, to do what you really want to do, be who you really want to be — rather than something to fear, you might begin to see the end as a necessity rather than a dread.

Change is good. It shows you are progressing, becoming more self aware, and allows the chance to discover things about yourself and life that you never would have come across before.

Perspective Is Key

The end of this one thing is not the end of your whole life. Yes it may feel like it, but you are a complex, interesting person with hundreds of things going on! Thinking it’ll all be over once this ends is not helpful for you. Your worth and purpose doesn’t lie in one job, degree, friendship, or experience alone.

Take a step back and look at things from a bigger perspective. We so easily blow things out of proportion. Rightly, treat this a a big deal, but don’t let it ruin everything else in your life alongside it.

The Hope of What’s to Come

Before you were in the thing that’s about to finish, you never knew that amazing thing was coming your way, that you would love it so much and care about it so deeply. If you didn’t know about that then, then you certainly won’t be aware of the great things ahead of you now. Don’t close yourself off for the next brilliant thing in your life just because you can’t let go of the past.

Look back on the last five years of your life. Think about the things that you’ve gone through and those that have brought you to now. Chances are you’ve experienced a lot and developed into a very different person over that time.

Just think about it. Guaranteed, the best things are yet to come!

And remember, wanting things not to end is a good thing!

It means you’ve enjoyed yourself, that you care about whatever it may be that you’re in. Missing something is one of the greatest gifts in the human experience and is totally acceptable and normal.

Struggling with something ending is fine, just don’t let it overwhelm you. Remember how fortunate you are to have had what you do and keep an open mind to what’s next.

As Winnie the Pooh puts it, “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”