Goodbyes & Growth
Loss and letting go is part of expansion and exploration
It was recently announced that the Boathouse restaurant in Central Park is permanently closing after more than 65 years … yet another iconic part of NYC biting the dust and signaling the end of an era.
One thing that is constant is change; we have to have death in order to have rebirth, and this process seems to be accelerated everywhere lately.
The above example is of course not an actual life-and-death situation, but it’s symbolic of what we are now going through individually and collectively: endings big and small; losses of people, places, things, civilization, etc. And they add up!
It’s been a long run of loss for me personally over the past decade or so, and I have learned to get through it by allowing myself to feel whatever comes up — for as long as it needs to come up without dwelling there — after any type of death. Then I have the attitude and understanding that this is the nature of life and perhaps something even better will take its place, or the loss will create some gain or growth that I would never have expected or appreciated.
Nature abhors a vacuum, and I have a deep faith that whatever will be, will be; I see loss as a practice in acceptance and do whatever is in my control to make sure that the vacuum is filled with something better than before. I am also someone who sees the glass as half full and can always make tasty lemonade out of lemons, or crap into fertilizer.
These were just some of the themes that came up in the inaugural CONNECTING WITH KRISTINA monthly online gathering on July 19. It was such a lovely group and was as I envisioned it — everyone was authentic and vulnerable in sharing, which is what we all need for true connection, to get to the gold of this human experience and not feel so alone as we go through it. Here is a little summary and a few video clips from the gathering, and more will be uploaded to my YouTube channel soon. Stay tuned for the announcement for the next one, scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 17, and the topic is JOY.
This essay from 2011 has some dated references, but the message is just as relevant with all that we are experiencing and/or witnessing around us. Remember that this is all part of transformation. I know that doesn’t necessarily take away the sadness, pain and grief, but with some perspective after going through it, we can see it as productive and profound, and in many cases can find gratitude and wisdom as a result. Ultimately it is death that teaches us about life.
And if you’d like a tool that Amazon reviewer Mildred says “helps to remind us who we really are,” check out my new book Say It To Make It: Affirmations to Empower the Heart, Mind, Spirit and Soul like these folks have. Check out some reviews and purchase on Amazon here, and if you have a copy, please consider writing a review and/or posting on social media with the hashtag #sayittomakeit. Click here for all the IG posts so far, and scroll down to learn more and read what others are saying!
For related thoughts on these topics, read my essay Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.
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*Originally published as a PGG note on July 22, 2022
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Kristina Leonardi is a nationally recognized career and life coach, speaker and author who for over 14 years has empowered individuals to make lasting professional and personal changes aligned with their true passions and talents while fulfilling their role in the world at large.With a holistic and personal growth-oriented approach, she has helped hundreds of men and women over the past decade improve their job performance, enter or re-enter the job force, change careers, better manage their time and stress, and live happier, more meaningful, balanced lives. Her specialty is working with people who feel stuck or are in transition and can help you clarify exactly what you want to do, identify blocks, issues, and patterns in your way, and offer proven ideas, resources, and action steps to get you there.
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