Closing circles

Hello stemians welcome to a new week

Closing Circles

Life has a funny way of piling things up on us. A grudge here, a broken promise there, dreams left to gather dust in some corner of the heart. We tell ourselves we’re fine, we’ve moved on, no time to look back. But somewhere deep down, those unfinished stories keep calling, begging to be wrapped up so we can truly breathe.

That’s what closing circles means to me giving yourself permission to tie up loose ends, to end things properly so they don’t haunt you. I used to think “forgetting” was enough. Just bury the issue, pretend it never happened, and keep moving. But the truth is, anything you bury alive will crawl back up. It will poke at you in the quiet hours. It will steal your peace when you least expect it.

I had a friend I cut off a few years ago. We had a silly disagreement, and pride wouldn’t let either of us back down. I told myself I didn’t care good riddance. But I did care. Every time I scrolled past an old picture of us, I felt this tiny pinch in my chest. I ignored it for so long, until one day I asked myself: why not close this circle?

It was scary, I won’t lie. My heart pounded as I typed out a simple message: “Hey, I know we left things messy. I’m sorry for my part in that.” It wasn’t an attempt to become best friends again. I just wanted peace. That short conversation turned out more healing than I ever imagined. We didn’t go back to how things were, but I could finally breathe. That’s the power of closing a circle.

Sometimes closing a circle means forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it, for your own sanity. Sometimes it means forgiving yourself for mistakes you made when you didn’t know any better. It might even mean letting go of a dream you’re no longer passionate about, so you can clear space for something new.

I know the idea of closure gets thrown around a lot these days. People say “let it go” as if it’s a button you can press. But in reality, letting go usually comes after you’ve properly faced things. It means naming what hurt you, honoring what you learned from it, and then deciding to leave it behind. That’s a circle, beautifully closed.

And look, not every circle needs a dramatic ending. You don’t always have to knock on doors or write long letters. Sometimes you can close a circle quietly in your own heart. You might never see that person again, but you can wish them well in your mind and release the bitterness. You might never get the apology you crave, but you can still choose to stop waiting for it. That’s your power.

When you don’t close your circles, you carry them around like heavy luggage. They weigh down your relationships, your dreams, even your confidence. I’ve seen people sabotage good things in the present because they haven’t healed the past. I’ve done it myself, expecting new people to pay for old wounds. It’s not fair to them or to you.

That’s why I believe closing circles is an act of self-love. It says to your own soul, “I see you. I won’t leave you stuck in yesterday.” Life will always throw new challenges at us, so we don’t need to drag old ones along for the ride.

Maybe you’re thinking of a broken friendship, or a family member you haven’t spoken to in years, or even a talent you pushed aside out of fear. Those are circles. They deserve to be looked at. Whether you revive them or lay them to rest, it’s up to you but don’t ignore them.

A lot of us are afraid to revisit unfinished stories because we think they’ll hurt all over again. And yes, it might hurt, but only for a moment. There’s so much relief in giving yourself permission to say, “This chapter is over.” It’s like finally closing a window that’s been rattling in the wind for too long.

I’m still learning how to do this, honestly. I don’t have it all figured out. Some circles I’m working on are deeply personal, and they’ll take time. But every little circle I close every conversation, every bit of forgiveness, every dream I let go or choose to chase again makes me lighter. Makes me braver.

And that’s what I wish for you, too. I wish you the courage to look your unfinished business in the eye. To talk to that person if you feel called to. To write that letter, even if you never send it. To apologize. Or to forgive. Or simply to say “I tried.”

Because this is what peace really looks like not a perfect, shiny life with no regrets, but a life where you refuse to leave things half-lived. A life where you respect your own story enough to give it an ending.

So today, think about the circles in your life. Pick just one. Maybe it’s a broken friendship, maybe a lost dream, maybe a wound that still stings. Ask yourself: how can I bring this to a close, with grace? It doesn’t have to be dramatic or public. It just has to feel true.

And when you do that, you’ll find there’s more space in your heart. More hope. More energy. Because you’re no longer tangled up in old knots.

Life will keep giving us fresh circles to open. That’s part of growing. But you owe it to yourself to close the old ones, so you can keep moving with freedom.

That, to me, is what it means to live fully.

Inviting @kwinberry @peachyladiva @ukpono