It Ain't Over Til Its Begun Again!
Do you know the ancient symbol of the orouborus--the snake with
its its tail in its mouth, forming a circle? In one variation or
another, it's present in many cultures. Jung would say it's part
of the collective unconscious. It's a symbol for beginnings that
are endings, and endings that are beginnings. This is a concept
that's difficult for us to grasp, and it's a very significant
one.
It's common for all of us to mistake the beginning for the end.
We wait 9 long months and then go into labor and our work is
done, we think. The baby is finally here. But then, as every
parent knows, the work is just beginning. The birth is the end
of the pregnancy, but the beginning of a whole new thing. A baby!
We work hard for four years and get through college and what's
the end of it called? Commencement. (Beginning.) Why? Because
the reward for all that hard work is ... to get out there and
find a job. More work at a whole new level.
I work with clients who want to identify and develop their
strengths. We use an assessment tool and work interactively, and
explore their propensities, and then voila! We discover and
identify their talents. And then what? Talents need to be
fortified with learning and skills in order to be brought to
fruition. We have a new beginning.
And then once they're strengths, they need to be practiced,
applied, used. Action must be taken. Another beginning. Just
exactly when do we get to rest on our laurels??
"Don't worry about your problems with mathematics," said
Einstein. "I can assure you that mine are far greater." No rest
for the weary.
The gifted poet John Berryman wrote a profound poem about 'the
end of strengths' which I felt moved to illustrate
(URL:http://www.geocities.com/pocketpeach2 rainer.htm) It's
about a proficient animal trainer who's in burn out. He's used
his natural talents and strengths ... too long? too hard? too
often? without balance? without adequate support? But that's a
whole 'nother story, burn out, and there we have orouborus
again: some clients can recycle from burn-out. For others, it's
too late.
Understanding the endless cycle of beginnings and endings is
part of adjusting to the constancy of change in our lives.