The Awakening
A time comes in your life when you finally get
it...when, in the midst of all your fears and
insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere
the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH! Enough
fighting and crying and blaming and struggling to hold
on. Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum,
you blink back your tears and begin to look at the
world through new eyes. This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for
something to change, or for happiness, safety and
security to magically appear over the next horizon
You realize that in the real world there aren't always
fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily
ever after" must begin with you... and in the process
a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken
to the fact that you are not perfect and that not
everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of
who or what you are... and that's OK. They are
entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing
yourself... and in the process a sense of new found
confidence is born of self-approval. You stop
complaining and blaming other people for the things
they did to you - or didn't do for you - and you learn
that the only thing you can really count on is the
unexpected. You learn that people don't always say
what they mean or mean what they say and that not
everyone will always be there for you and that
everything isn't always about you.
So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of
yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and
security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging
and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as
they are and to overlook their shortcomings and human
frailties... and in the process a sense of peace and
contentment is born of forgiveness. You learn to open
up to new worlds and different points of view. You
begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what
you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing
and you begin to discard the doctrines and values
you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to
begin with. You learn that there is power and glory in
creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering
through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your
next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty
and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone
era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation
upon which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not
your job to save the world and that you can't teach a
pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is
the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get
burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. You
learn to look at relationships as they really are and
not as you would have them be. You learn that alone
does not mean lonely. You stop trying to control
people, situations and outcomes. You learn to
distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the
importance of setting boundaries and learning to say
NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings
aside, smoothing things over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You
begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You
begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and
take more time to exercise. You learn that being tired
fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take
more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body,
laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to
laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life
what you believe you deserve, and that much of life
truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that
anything worth achieving is worth working for and that
wishing for something to happen is different than
working toward making it happen. More importantly, you
learn that in order to achieve success you need
direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn
that no one can do it all alone, and that it's OK to
risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear
itself. You learn to step right into and through your
fears because you know that whatever happens you can
handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the
right to live life on your own terms. You learn to
fight for your life and not to squander it living
under a cloud of impending doom. You learn that life
isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think
you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to
unsuspecting, good people... and you learn not to
always take it personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything
isn't always somebody's fault. It's just life
happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and
to build bridges instead of walls. You learn that
negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment
must be understood and redirected or they will
suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe
that surrounds you. You learn to be thankful and to
take comfort in many of the simple things we take for
granted, things that millions of people upon the earth
can only dream about: a full refrigerator, clean
running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by
yourself and you make yourself a promise to never
betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart's desire. You make it a point to keep
smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every
wonderful possibility. You hang a wind chime outside
your window so you can listen to the wind. Finally,
with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take
a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you
want to live as best you can.
- Author Unknown
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