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 through a mantle of wet lashes,
you begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening...
You realize that 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 you are not Prince
Charming and she is not 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 & contentment is born of forgiveness.
You realize that much of the way you view yourself and
the world around you is a result of all of the
messages and opinions that have been ingrained into
your psyche. You begin to sift through all the junk
you've been fed about how you should behave, how you
should look and how much you should weigh, what you
should wear and where you should shop and what you
should drive, how and where you should live and what
you should do for a living, if you should marry and
what you should expect of a marriage, the importance
of having and raising children or what you owe your
parents. 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 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. 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. Romantic love and familial
love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to
stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to
project your needs or your feelings onto a
relationship. You learn that you will not be more
handsome, more intelligent, more lovable or important
because of the woman on your arm or the child that bears
your name. 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. You
learn that just as people grow and change, so it is
with love; and you learn that you don't have the right
to demand love on your terms, just to make you happy.
You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You look in
the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you
will never be perfect and you stop trying to
compete with the image inside your head and
agonizing over how you "stack up." 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 that 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.
You allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you,
to glorify you with her touch and in the process, you
internalize the meaning of self-respect.
And you learn that your body really is your temple.
And you begin to care for it and treat it with
respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking
more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn
that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create
doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. 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 in life, you get 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 that the only thing you must truly fear is
the great robber baron of all time; 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 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. On these occasions, you learn not to
personalize things. You learn that life isn't punishing
you or failing to answer your prayers; it's just life
happening. 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. 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 with braveness 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 as you
can.
Only then can you be fully awakened to your life.
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 through a mantle of wet lashes,
you begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening...
You realize that 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 you are not Prince
Charming and she is not 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 & contentment is born of forgiveness.
You realize that much of the way you view yourself and
the world around you is a result of all of the
messages and opinions that have been ingrained into
your psyche. You begin to sift through all the junk
you've been fed about how you should behave, how you
should look and how much you should weigh, what you
should wear and where you should shop and what you
should drive, how and where you should live and what
you should do for a living, if you should marry and
what you should expect of a marriage, the importance
of having and raising children or what you owe your
parents. 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 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. 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. Romantic love and familial
love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to
stop giving and when to walk away. You learn not to
project your needs or your feelings onto a
relationship. You learn that you will not be more
handsome, more intelligent, more lovable or important
because of the woman on your arm or the child that bears
your name. 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. You
learn that just as people grow and change, so it is
with love; and you learn that you don't have the right
to demand love on your terms, just to make you happy.
You learn that alone does not mean lonely. You look in
the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you
will never be perfect and you stop trying to
compete with the image inside your head and
agonizing over how you "stack up." 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 that 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.
You allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you,
to glorify you with her touch and in the process, you
internalize the meaning of self-respect.
And you learn that your body really is your temple.
And you begin to care for it and treat it with
respect. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking
more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn
that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create
doubt and fear. So you take more time to rest. 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 in life, you get 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 that the only thing you must truly fear is
the great robber baron of all time; 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 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. On these occasions, you learn not to
personalize things. You learn that life isn't punishing
you or failing to answer your prayers; it's just life
happening. 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. 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 with braveness 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 as you
can.
Only then can you be fully awakened to your life.
