Death and Rebirth of Self - Life Transitions

Death and Rebirth of Self - Life Transitions

By Madisyn Taylor

Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life.  Even though this is a natural and necessary part of our growth, it is often painful or, if we don’t realize what’s happening, confusing and disorienting. In fact, confusion and disorientation are often the
messengers that tell us a shift is taking place within us. These shifts happen throughout the lives of all humans, as we move from infancy to childhood to adolescence and beyond. With each transition from one phase to another, we find ourselves saying good-bye to an old
friend, the identity that we formed in order to move through that particular time.

Sometimes we form these identities in relationships or jobs, and when
we shift those areas of our life become unsettled. Usually, if we take
the time to look into the changing surface of things, we will find
that a shift is taking place within us. For example, we may go through
one whole chapter of our lives creating a protective shell around
ourselves because we need it in order to heal from some early trauma. One day, though, we may find ourselves feeling confined and restless, wanting to move outside the shelter we needed for so long; the new part of ourselves cannot be born within the confines of the shell our old self needed to survive.

We may feel a strange mixture of exhilaration and sadness as we say
good-bye to a part of ourselves that is dying and make way for a whole new identity to emerge in its place. We may find inspiration in
working with the image of an animal who molts or sheds in order to
make way for new skin, fur, or feathers to emerge. For example,
keeping a duck feather, or some other symbol of transformation, can
remind us that death and rebirth are simply nature’s way of evolving.
We can surrender to this process, letting go of our past self with
great love and gratitude, and welcoming the new with an open mind and heart, ready for our next phase of life.