It Is Not An End, Just A Beginning Of A New Chapter
The journey of life is continuous and lifelong. Even when it looks like a door is closed against you, you have to understand that it is not an end, but it is a beginning of a new chapter. There are things that may happen and you may think that it is all over or that it is the final, but even from there, you will be surprised how many other opportunities will arise. This is why I believe that an end of a story is not the end of life itself, rather it is the beginning of a new story. What a lot of people call the end is actually not the finish line, but a bend that will still continue. An exit from a room is usually an entrance to another place.
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I was reading a story of a Nigerian man who is now in the US military and how it all started. Back at home, he applied repeatedly to be recruited into his home country's force, but in all his attempts, he could not gain acceptance. He applied to be part of the Department of State Security, he was not taken. From his story, he applied for 3 consecutive times and was rejected in all occasions. He was almost giving up, thinking that his dream of being in the military was coming to an end, but little did he know that it was actually opening him up for something bigger, and a better opportunity.
He got the opportunity to travel to the US and after a while, he applied to the US military and was taken. It was a dream come through. The person that was initially rejected back home is now in one of the most decorated fighting forces that is known to humankind. When he was rejected at home, he thought that it was an end for him. But in the journey of destiny, you only determine when it is an end. If you refuse to see whatever happens as an end, then it will not be an end for you, rather a beginning of a new chapter. If he had been accepted initially, he would have missed the opportunity to be in the US military, so the things that happened actually happened for a good reason.
What you think is an end is just your mind trying to convince you that you are in your finish line, but when you look beyond the bend, you will realise that the journey continues. When the sun sets, it does not mean the end of the day, it is only an introduction of the night. Then when the night comes, it is only a preparation of a bright and new day. So you see, the journey continues. When a phase of your life comes to an end, it will set the stage for the introduction of a new phase. For example, when you graduate from the University, it will set you into the labour market to start working. When you end a relationship, it sets the stage for a new relationship. An exit from a phase is an entrance into a new phase. When you accept this truth, your fears will give way. You will stop worrying about why something ended, and start preparing for what lies ahead.
It is worthy to note that endings are not designed to destroy you, rather they are supposed to redirect you. That is, to push you towards the discovery of a better version of yourself, to find new opportunities, and to find deeper purpose of life. A lot of the greatness that you see today actually began from what looked like an end. A lot of them even failed in more times than you can ever imagine, yet they never saw it as a true end. History is full of people who have achieved the incredible by going beyond what seemed like an end. Take Harland Sanders for example; story has it that he failed practically in almost everything he ever did until his old age when he started KFC. KFC became a success. If he had given up and called it an end, we would not have Kentucky Fried Chicken. This shows you that it is never an end until you accept it.
When it looks like life has drawn the curtain against you in a particular phase, do not put yourself in despair, rather take a deep breath, reflect, and then give life another shot on target. When things happen that you do not expect, no matter how unwelcoming it may look, do not see it that you are finished, rather see it as part of life's journey and that you are making progress. Always remind yourself that it is never over for you until you get to your destination.
Thanks for reading
