Photo taken by Nicole Wolcott.

“When you really think about it, every cycle of change and period of individuation is about self-discovery. It is an opportunity to reflect, to integrate the past to allow ourselves to grow a little more. Of course, if we shut down when changes come, we don’t grow.  And life is all about growing; life is about becoming more and more of who we are and creating more and more of who we can become.”  page 134

“Letting go of the old and taking hold of the new is an integral part of living a fruitful and fulfilling life. When we hold on instead of letting go, we pay a big price. Mentally, emotionally, and physically we tie ourselves to the past instead of living in the present. Our souls feel stifled and unhappy.”  page 135

“Painful experiences of loss offer us special gifts: a deeper understanding of our soul and our purpose in life, the breaking open of our heart, the awakening of compassion, the mobilizing of courage… I have come to believe that many of us learn our greatest lessons of love through experience of loss. We feel the deep hurt of loss when someone dear to us moves on and we are alone and unsure of what to do next. It is at these moments that the tender hand of God may touch us because we are hurting, no longer captive to the habitual rhythms of our life and therefore more receptive to inner experience and divine guidance.”  page 156

Marilyn C. Barrick, Ph.D, Sacred Psychology Of Change, Life As A Voyage Of Transformation