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 someone
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 fairytale
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 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 newfound 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 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
brought in to begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing
and you stop
manoeuvring 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the outdated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 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 the 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 differen t 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 into 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 a
promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart’s desire.
You make 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
