Fairy tale endings are just that. Myths.

Endings are hard and messy. It doesn’t feel like “happily ever after” as the book closes. There are loose ends that leave the story unresolved. We can’t see past the ending, and this uncertainty can be nerve wracking.

We can fight against the ending, but momentum is not on our side. Unlike a book, we can not turn pages toward to the front of the book. We can yearn nostalgically for the way things used to be, but time only moves in one direction.

It is more useful to embrace the beginning. Don’t lose momentum trying to keep the sand from sliding through the hourglass. Realize this isn’t the ending of a book. It’s the beginning of the next chapter. It often doesn’t feel like it, because we don’t start a new chapter until the old one is completed.

As this year ends and another begins, don’t worry about a perfect ending. Instead of wrapping up all the loose ends, some can become teasers for the next chapter. Let uncertainty pique your curiosity into a wondrous mystery for what lies ahead. And if it feels like some of the expectations you had for the year are burning down, don’t lose hope.

The phoenix has to become ashes before it can rise.