take a minute
read it all
and let it consume you.
author unknown
"a time comes in your life when you finally get…
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 okay.
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
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integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era,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 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 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 learn that no one can do it all alone,
and that it’s okay 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
begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can."
the more you read this
the more it hits you.
every time you read it
one line seems more important
than the last and so on.
the more you read this
the more unselfish you become
the more in love you are with
the life you were given.
cherish it
and the people in it.
