New chapters in your life can begin in the most harmonious, effortless, peaceful way.

Or they can happen so suddenly and unexpectedly that your first reaction to them isn’t disappointment, but pure shock.

Sometimes you actively look for new beginnings; sometimes they seem to just drop out of the sky.

Sometimes you interpret them as wonderful gifts; sometimes they make you wonder how life can be so harsh.

And yet that’s how life works. Much like time — which some see as life itself — it’s a constant flow of events over which you have little control.

Even changes that you think were consciously created by yourself might have happened mostly because of luck.

Are we supposed to surrender to the universe? Probably.

But not in the sense that we should do absolutely nothing, or that we are at the mercy of a cruel fate.

New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings

Despite what you might have read online, this is not a quote from the Tao Te Ching (Lao Tzu). It’s a really good quote anyway.

Think: would you be where you are right now had you not been through challenges, mistakes, failures, dark days?

With the perspective you have right now, perhaps you are grateful for all the negative experiences you’ve had in the past.

About a decade ago I used to suffer from severe depression and anxiety. I was basically stuck in a toxic mindset, and emptiness was the only positive feeling I could feel.

Yet those months and years — probably the darkest of my life — gave me the opportunity to learn things about the human mind and how we function.

Guess what, today I am totally grateful I had to go through that. And believe me, it was tough (if you have ever struggled with depression yourself, you know).

That’s just an example. Any ending, any moment in which a part of us or our world dies inevitably leads to rebirth.

What if we could develop the mindset where all life’s events can be embraced and celebrated?

What if we started to see and interpret endings as blessings, no matter what we might think or feel at the time?

Four tips to embrace new beginnings

  • Don’t identify with the past. It has been said that identification is one of humanity’s worst problems. Essentially, the thought that a certain experience, environment, etc. is you. You want to consciously remind yourself that your essence exists regardless of what may be going on in your life right now, and that the past doesn’t have to define you.
  • Know it can take time. Depending on what has come to an end — a relationship, friendship, career, or just a phase in general — it may take you some time to accept it and move on (although this isn’t an excuse to keep dwelling on it indefinitely). This is normal and should not be fought against as long as you maintain a positive attitude.
  • Reflect on past transitions. How many “blessings in disguise” have you had so far? Quite a few, right? Can you think of a phase in your life that ended abruptly and was initially followed by disappointment and/or sadness, but then a new version of yourself? Somehow, for that new beginning to happen there had to be an ending as well.
  • Know that you don’t know. Life has a plan for you. You can replace the word “life” with God, Fate, the universe, or anything else you believe in. The concept is the same. There is always an element of mystery and uncertainty, but only for you. You don’t know what the new chapter will be yet. Be patient and surrender.

Endings are new beginnings: quotes

When one door opens, another closes; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.

Alexander Graham Bell

Everything is temporary; emotions, thoughts, people, and scenery. Do not become attached, just flow with it.

Unknown

Life is about change. Sometimes it’s painful; sometimes it’s beautiful. But most of the time it’s both.

Kristin Kreuk

Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.

Steve Maraboli

Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than defending or hanging on.

Eckhart Tolle

We must be willing to let go of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

Joseph Campbell

Don’t be afraid of new beginnings. Don’t shy away from new people, new energy, new surroundings. Embrace new chances at happiness.

Unknown

Embrace the unpredictable and unexpected. It is the path to the infinitely creative in you.

Deepak Chopra

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need.

Unknown

“Scared” and “sacred” are spelled with the same letters. “Awful” proceeds from the same root word as “awesome”. “Terrify” and “terrific”. Every negative experience holds the seed of transformation.

Alan Cohen

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next.

Gilda Radner

Endings are new beginnings: short quotes

The life in front of you is far more important than the life behind you.

Joel Osteen

If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.

Paulo Coelho

Surrender to what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.

Sonia Ricotti

All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.

Mitch Albom

Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.

Kahlil Gibran

That is one good thing about this world: there are always sure to be more springs.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.

Louis L’Amour

Faith is all about trusting God even when you don’t understand His plan.

Joel Osteen

Today is the beginning of whatever you want.

Unknown

Nothing is lost; everything is transformed.

Michael Ende