Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life. Even
though this is a natural and necessary part of our growth, it is often painful
or, if we don't realize what's happening, confusing and disorienting. In fact,
confusion and disorientation are often the messengers that tell us a shift is
taking place within us. These shifts happen throughout the lives of all humans,
as we move from infancy to childhood to adolescence and beyond. With each
transition from one phase to another, we find ourselves saying good-bye to an
old friend, the identity that we formed in order to move through that
particular time.
Sometimes we form these identities in relationships or jobs, and when we shift
those areas of our life become unsettled. Usually, if we take the time to look
into the changing surface of things, we will find that a shift is taking place
within us. For example, we may go through one whole chapter of our lives
creating a protective shell around ourselves because we need it in order to
heal from some early trauma. One day, though, we may find ourselves feeling
confined and restless, wanting to move outside the shelter we needed for so
long; the new part of ourselves cannot be born within the confines of the shell
our old self needed to survive.
We may feel a strange mixture of exhilaration and sadness as we say good-bye to
a part of ourselves that is dying and make way for a whole new identity to
emerge in its place. We may find inspiration in working with the image of an
animal who molts or sheds in order to make way for new skin, fur, or feathers
to emerge. For example, keeping a duck feather, or some other symbol of
transformation, can remind us that death and rebirth are simply nature's way of
evolving. We can surrender to this process, letting go of our past self with
great love and gratitude, and welcoming the new with an open mind and heart,
ready for our next phase of life.
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