This Is Your Awakening

You struggle, twist, and turn, trying hard to find a way out of

your box, a way to get beyond the invisible barriers that have

held you back for so long. And suddenly one day, who knows why,

something fundamentally shifts inside you...

...and you feel a freedom you've seldom known. A willingness to

wake-up and tell yourself the truth about what's really happen-

ing. And the courage to finally climb out of your box, step into

the sunshine, and move on with your life.

And it feels good!

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 or struggling to hold on. And, like a

child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to

subside, you shudder once or twice, 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 come gallop-

ing over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that

neither of you is Prince Charming or Cinderella and that in the

real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings

for that matter) 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. And you learn the importance of loving and champion-

ing 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

it's not 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 realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the

world around you, is as a result of all the messages and opinions

that have been ingrained into your psyche. And you begin to sift

through all the crap you've been fed about how you should behave,

how you should look, how much you should weigh, what you should

wear, what you should do for a living, how much money you should

make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who

you should marry, the importance of having and raising children,

and what you owe your parents, family, and friends.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view.

And 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

...and in the process you learn to go with your instincts.

You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And 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 by-gone 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 to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the

importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. 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. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop

giving and when to walk away.

You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not

as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people,

situations and outcomes. And you learn that alone does not

mean lonely.

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside,

smoothing things over and ignoring your needs. You learn that

feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK....and that it is

your right to want things and to ask for the things you want...

and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.

You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated

with love, kindness, sensitivity and respect and you won't

settle for less. And you learn that your body really is your

temple. And 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 import-

antly, 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 the greatest

robber baron of all: 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. And 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. On these occasions you

learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't

punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's just

life happening.

And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state -

the ego. 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 admit when you are wrong and to

build bridges instead of walls.

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.

Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by your-

self and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself

and to never, ever settle for less than your hearts desire.

And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen

to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep

trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility.

Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side 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 -