~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 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 galloping 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 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 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 junk
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 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 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
from 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 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 yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray
yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart’s 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~~
http://awakening-minds.com/?p=46
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 galloping 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 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 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 junk
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 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 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
from 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 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 yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray
yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart’s 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~~
http://awakening-minds.com/?p=46
