Awakenings

No quote today... but the following email more than makes up for its absence. I had my own personal awakening on 10-30-93. Nothing...and I mean absolutely N O T H I N G has been the same since. Life is a constant evolution and I'm very much involved with the changes in my life, both internally and externally.

Awareness is such a wondrous thing. Awakening is meant to sharpen our sight and fine tune our awareness. The ability to embrace each moment is developed with use and adjustments to our point of view naturally enhance our field of vision. Life is sooooo much more than simply what meets the eye.

I know many who read here are in different stages of awakening and I celebrate each emancipation as if it were my own. There is a special bond that forms between the ones that travel this path, and gender isn't important. Men are just as apt to be imprisoned as women, their reasons are often different, but the end result is identical.

If the journey is new, don't struggle to stay asleep. If mid way or more, look around for someone that looks a bit worse for wear and adopt the buddy system. If you have some input on the subject add it to the comment space here. Share knowledge and insight. Each one, teach one is a good rule of thumb. The more often you speak of it, the stronger its reality. And if you think you're done.... think again!!!!


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 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 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 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.

Choose Sunbeams

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.".... Maori proverb

This quote is right on target. Such a simple truth said in such a pretty fashion should be easy enough to remember. During my lifetime, I've stumbled through some pitch-black places when these words would surly have helped prevent melancholy. Reciting them as a verbal talisman would've chased away all evil thoughts and bothersome notions. Well, luckily I'm armed with them now... and they should work effectively for both wound prevention and damage control.

Gathering tools and weapons is each warriors responsibility, just as the use of them falls to their owners. But free-choice in all things is our best defense against attack. Being in control of self often is the only command possible and the only way to have any real influence upon the outcome. And to me it seems such a small thing to keep the shadows at bay with sunbeams.

The direction you, "choose" to point your attention is vital. Positives just naturally avoid the shadows, while negatives are like vampires who turn to ashes in sunlight. Pick the path with heart. Keep your eye on the prize, populate your space with people who add more than they could ever take away. Repopulate if necessary. Make choices with some forethought and create a reality worthy of your presence there. Why don't you... think about it... let it ride... then YOU decide???

Soul Talk

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life...Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.".... Steve Jobs, founder, Apple Computers

I wish I'd read this long ago, when I was spending so much time struggling to please everyone and failing so miserably. Voices pulled me first this way then that in an endless tug of war for my attention and compliance. For forty years, I was kept constantly off-balance by one sort of tyrant or another. Honestly... if my soul ever spoke to me back then, I never heard it over the critical people who orbited my atmosphere. Emotional vertigo left me mostly helpless, until I began to value my personal space enough to defend its boarders. There came a time when I had to admit that the only damage they did was whatever I allowed.

Once that mighty notion took root, nothing was ever the same again. The voice I'd never heard before instantly roared to life. In that moment I realized the only agenda it would ever possess was goodwill toward me and my hearts desire. But what did my heart desire? Who was I really? Take away all the labels... and just what remained? The journey to knowledge traveled inward, and the keeper of all the keys was that voice. I began listening in earnest and have never regretted altering my focus toward that internal location.
  
I wasted so much of my life, yet I cannot wholeheartedly regret the things I've lived through. Obstacles made me into who I am and the lessons learned while overcoming them will help shape who I'll someday become. Being a work in progress gives each day a meaning unique unto itself; any forward motion instantly validates the moment it inhabits. Awareness slows time to savor speed, making up a bit for all the time wasted or blundered through. Soul talk reveals a pattern for personal peace and healing, custom made to fit only you. Why don't you.... think about it.... let it ride.... then YOU decide????

Risking Change

TODAY'S QUOTE:
"Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worth the risk.".... Leo Buscaglia

Change does all of those things; it can also inspire terror of the most unreasonable sort in even the most valiant among us. Some people instantly freeze at the mere notion of any kind of alteration to the "habits they inhabit". Ruts are windowless by design, which explains the tunnel vision and lack of drive of the average plodder. But why feel trapped by situations that could be repaired, remodeled, or rotated away from by simply believing in your own power to succeed and then acting accordingly?

Investing in yourself truly is a worthwhile cause, yet so many act as if it's a criminal act worthy of severe punishment. Women have always been more subject to that mindset than men. A lifetime of voluntary incarceration is a fools bargain. No matter what material is used for building it... guilt... pain... grief... spite, the key to freedom always rests firmly in the hand of the prisoner. It's the convincing them of that fact that is the highest hurdle in the race to their freedom. Is it truly preferable to simply continue suffering familiar agony than it is to risk the changes that may heal your wounds, but will most certainly demand personal growth?
 

Internal alterations can be painful, but any chance for positive change is always a risk well worth the undertaking. If it causes you some pain to alter things for the better then at least your pain will have meant something and gained you a fuller life. Why don't you.... think about it.... let it ride.... then YOU decide????

A Great Email

I received this as an email and agree wholeheartedly with its sentiment. Aging definitely has its benefits, even if we are too busy looking backward to recognize them. The positives are often misplaced when we waste time and energy wallowing in whichever negatives just naturally apply. Age is both a reward and a burden. How we view it... then how we do it dictates how shinny our trophy or how heavy our millstone. Think about it.... let it grow.... then decide!!!!
A Gift.....
The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, he was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let him know.
Growing Older, I decided, is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body ... the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the cellulite. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avaunt garde on my patio. I am entitled to be messy, to be extravagant, to smell the flowers. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 a.m and then sleep until -- ?
I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's & 60's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love . I will. I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the bikini set. They, too, will get old. (if they're lucky)
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But then again, some of life is just as well forgotten and I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. I can say "no," and mean it. I can say "yes." and mean it. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question, I like being older. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day... (if I want).
Today, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles.
Love simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Leave the rest to God.