When I think of the word completion, closure also comes to mind. We’ve all heard and looked forward to this statement, “When a door closes, God opens a window.” To me, this points to what follows completion. Think of the following completions and what comes next:

Wedding plans

Pregnancy

A job hunt

Loss of a job

Building a house

Moving

Graduation

Empty nest

The end of a relationship

Death

Life cycles us through unending completions that open windows to new situations, places, and people in our lives. Sometimes these completions are celebrated with joy and sometimes they take our breath away in loss and sadness. In all cases, completion marks an ending, as well as a beginning. 

What is about to be complete in your life? Is it a good thing you will celebrate? If so, how will you mark this milestone? How many of you know people who go through life with a checklist to accomplish and never seem to stop long enough (before going to the next thing) to let the joy of completion soak in like a sunny day at the beach? Celebrating life’s joy compounds the happiness and good feelings we’ve earned! Give yourself this pleasure and reward!

What if you face the loss of something or someone? What will help you look toward the new beginning… the open window… the light at the end of a dark tunnel? 

Feeling the pain of loss is healthy and necessary in the process of moving forward. It is also a step toward healing and the ability to let go of the pain. When we choose what we want, especially how we want to feel, we can begin to use our best abilities to achieve our goals. You know this is true when getting through the joyful completions in life. Now you can use that same resourcefulness in getting through the most challenging completions.

Hints of light will eventually reach through the darkness. When it does, choose how you would like to feel going forward. Will it be confident, whole, proud, resilient, strong, capable, content, at peace, resourceful, empowered? What else? Think about things you enjoy that bring these feelings to life. By doing so, you will have already taken the first steps from loss and your return to joy.