on the graceful exit:

there is a trick to the graceful exit, i suspect. it begins with the vision to recognize when a job, a life stage, a relationship is over, and let it go. it means leaving what’s over without denying its validity or its past importance in our lives. it involves a sense of the future, a belief that every exit is an entry; that we are moving on, rather than out. ellen goodman

as many of you know, i have always had a certain affinity for warriors of all kinds, from samurai to cowboys. in my own framework of the Universe, this affinity stems from being reincarnated as a warrior of one sort or another time and time again; i believe, though, it will suffice to say i feel a strong connection to the warrior path. recently i have begun examining myself and my life in many ways, to include the ways in which my present lifestyle supports a warrior way of thinking and living. i have found that in many ways it does not, and i have been enjoying working to reconcile the two.

my big lesson for the weekend is this: a warrior knows when to let go — and to always make a graceful exit. there are areas in my life — one in particular — that could use some letting go. i have thus far found the letting go challenging as a result of fear and pride, mostly. and there, too — a warrior does not suffer fear or pride.

and so. i am choosing now to let go. consciously. proactively. breathing through the parts that hurt the most. i suppose letting go of something is sort of like a band-aid: you only need the band-aid until your wound has healed. after that, it’s infinitely better to be without it. and, during the removal process, you still have to breathe through the parts that hurt the most.

so, this is me — making a graceful exit.

© 2008 ashe mcbride hinnant