Gratitude for Endings

When I was ready to let go, I leaned into having gratitude for what is and what has been.

I am grateful for endings because they offer and make space for me to begin again. It can be challenging to unfurl our hands and let go of things that keep us stuck or are no longer serving us or make us feel inadequate or unable to lean into our true path. Celebrating the ending of something can be rewarding because it reminds us to pay close attention to the great lessons that gratitude can leave us with. When given the opportunity to start over, we're given a chance to remember what it feels like to be alive and able to start over. And that's what I've been telling myself lately, to be alive is to be able to start over.

In the Studio, 2017

Recently, I decided to end my podcast. We're celebrating five years at the Kennedy Center this May with our first and only live show. That show will also be our last. I thought I would have the Hey Girl Podcast forever. I thought it would be a part of my life for life. When I realized that I had outgrown the show, I felt bad. I made the show with so much love and joy. I felt like ending it would negate all the hard work that'd been poured into each episode. What I realized when I was ready to let go, even though there was a twinge of uncertainty and doubt at first, is that it was time. I leaned into having gratitude for what the show is and what it has been. Endings welcome that type of reflection, whether you're leaving a job, marriage, or friendship or leaving old behaviors and patterns behind. A celebration can be uncovered when it's time to turn over a new leaf.

When we stop holding on to the things that we're ready to let go of, it allows for reflection on the beauty and growth we've experienced along the way. Change is good, even if we don't like it. Change can make things challenging (in a good way), it holds us accountable, and requires our full attention and presence. It's not supposed to be comfortable every time we're ready to let go and move forward. There have been a lot of endings in my life, and there was a time when I couldn't come to grips with the things or people or habits I needed to part ways with. I'm getting more comfortable with letting go and making space for new horizons to lead the way. We get to change and grow and shift every day if we want—and I truly believe there's so much to learn from that.

When I first started the show I was recording at a studio in DC.

When I think about the ending of my show, I'm comfortable with that decision. It doesn't make me sad. I'm not experiencing a bunch of what-ifs. I have no regrets. There is a lot of inner dialog about celebrating the milestones of reaching millions of people, building conversations with some amazing human beings, and learning how to be better in my craft as a writer and as someone who enjoys dialog with other people. Over the years of talking to guests, I've learned how to listen better and intentionally hear people. My podcast has brought a new lens of expansion to my life and empathy to my heart.

There is so much for me to be proud of. There is so much for me to celebrate when it comes to this part of my journey. Letting go isn't simple. So many of us have had to learn the importance of what we truly want and need. Releasing makes space for the new paths that are waiting for us. And I think celebrating the emerging pathways, even if we can't see things quite as clearly as we'd like, is vital to our growth. They are there, the new journey is waiting for us, and I'm so grateful for everything that shows and has shown itself to me.

Over the past five years, I've learned a lot when it comes to podcasting. I'm endlessly grateful for the conversations I've had with people from all walks of life. I'm so thankful for trusting that it's time to move on and that I am allowed to celebrate the ending of something that brought me so much joy at one point. Walking away doesn't mean you're not committed or that you love a place, person, or thing less—it could simply mean you've outgrown the space, relationship, or path. When we outgrow what is no longer aligned with the journey that we're on, we can explore what new beginnings look like with gratitude in hand.

Calls to Action:

Listen to me talk more about this on today's show HERE

Join me in May at the Kennedy Center, tickets HERE.

Community Question: What endings are you grateful for lately? Leave them in the comments.

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