An End is Really A Beginning

Throughout our lives we have endings. These endings can be the end of a job, relationship, or even the way we do something. Endings are usually messy. They are never really clean cut, neat or organized. Very few endings are easy. Endings, of course, are the end, but they are also the onset of the beginning.

To get a handle on endings, the first step is to realize you are at the "end". By having a mental conversation with yourself, you are beginning the process of your grieving. I am not saying you have to like this conversation, but once you begin it, you are on your way.

The stages of grief are well outlined by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Kübler-Ross's five stages are not nice and neat but often involve meandering around in one stage or another.

Getting back to the beginning, one may grieve, but one also learns many new things during this end and beginning phase of life. This is the time in our life that causes us to try new things, experience new thoughts and make changes in our daily routines and patterns. This is not to say it is going to be all fun. If we can, however, imagine the opportunities we now have to unexpectedly experience, we may be able to think of the end as an unexpected gift. Perhaps this is the only gift to come out of loss. But it is a gift, none the less.

1000 Days at Sea - An Adventure for All

I have been enjoying the adventures of the 1000 Days at Sea Team ever since July of 2007. That was about Day 80 or so days into the ocean going adventure that officially began Day one leaving New York Harbor in April 23,2007.

The premise of this extended ocean journey has been to circumnavigate the globe on a boat (A 70 foot schooner) without stopping, restocking or resupplying for a thousand days. It has been a life long ambition of sailor Reid Stowe.

While this journey like many,  hasn't quite turned out as expected,it has been an adventure non-the-less with lots of interesting twists and turns of events. The schooner is now expected to return to New York in June of 2010.

What I have liked is watching the path of the Schooner Anne on Google Earth, discovering weather overlays and exploring surrounding land areas I had no real knowledge of before. In the early days, photos of the adventure were posted by Soanya. It was amazing to see how many shades of blue there were. When Soanya left the journey (about day 300) the photos were still posted but not with her practiced eye. Reid, however soon filled in the space with his art and interesting stories and reflections.

Recently, the several times weekly posts have decreased due to computer problems. Regardless, it is always interesting to read the updates and check out the Schooner Anne's position on Google Earth.

By following and understanding the components of an adventure that is not our, it can suddenly seem to become partly our own life and experiences. It can be a great break in our day to follow an epic journey or a time period progression (see The Uniform Project). It can be a window into a world that we never knew existed. It can be the catalyst for our own future adventures.

 
Other post on the Transition Your Life Blog about 1000 Days at Seas Adventure

900 Days at Sea 
Take A Desk Vacation
Seek to Enjoy All Things
600 Days at Sea
300 Days at Sea
Remote Island...Very Remote 

Get Ready to Be Ready

The expression Ready, Set, Go is likely an adaptation of the prompt On Your Mark, Get Set, Go used by a variety of racing fields (swimming, running) to prepare their participants for action.


We can use the Ready, Set, Go to prepare our day or even our life for upcoming changes.

Being Ready

To be ready we can prepare our tools, equipment, and even our physical being for the upcoming action. We can improve our knowledge on the subject, increase our skills and education. We can prepare our body for the upcoming physical actions or anticipated requirements by eating nutritious and healthy foods.


Getting Set

While getting set means getting on the "mark" in the physical racing world, we can get our brain on the mark, by being in the right mindset. This includes being truly focused on what is before us. By avoiding distracting veins of thought we can be instead set on our upcoming event. We can also actively work to prevent beginning conversations in our minds that get our emotional being unsettled. 


Going On

The Go part of is the first step on your new path. Take a deep breath and begin. Since you have already done the Ready and the Set it is likely that the Go part will be the easiest.   



Getting ready and set are by far the most important parts of making a transition.  Be prepared to spend some time and do some work to fulfill the preparation of "Ready" and "Set".  


Have you used Ready, Set, Go in your life transitions? 
 

A New Decade Begins - Questions to Ponder

Its 2010, the start of a new decade. Now is a perfect time to make changes and move forward. Before we jump forward into something new, it usually helps to look back.

Here are some positive focused questions to think about. Think of each of the questions in terms of the last ten years and your experiences.


Decade Reflection Questions

What worked over the last ten years?

What are you most happy about having achieved, managed or maintained?

What were some of the best conversations you had?

What were some of the best books you read?

What were some of the best movies, plays or museum or art exhibits you experienced?

What new things or skills did you learn?

Who did you enjoy meeting, being with and spending time with?

Where were you most environmentally comfortable?

Bonus Questions - How did your senses experience the last decade?



Evaluating the Answers

When we look back we can sometimes glean patterns, or glimmers of thing that excite us. When we know what makes us want to get up and fully enjoy the day we can start shaping our lives to have more of this excitement. By reviewing your Decade Questions you may be able to move forward with a clearer sense of what will work for you and help you thrive in the next decade.