LIFE

"The Awakening" author unknown.



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integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era,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 allow, 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.