Post by judyb on Sept 20, 2004 11:34:11 GMT -5
A TIME COMES IN 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 he is not Prince Charming and you
are not
Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairytale
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 bi*ching 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 as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been
ingrained into your psyche.
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, where you should shop, what you should drive, how and where you
should live, what you should do for a living, who you should sleep
with,
who you should marry, 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. And
you begin reassessing and redefining who you are 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. You stop maneuvering
through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. Your
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, that 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 you learn the
importance
of setting boundaries and of 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 familiar love. You learn
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 beautiful, more
intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man or 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.
And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely. And you look in the
mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size
5 or a
perfect 10 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 you learn 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 decide you won't settle
for
less. And you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to
glorify you with his or 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. 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, 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 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 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.
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 building 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 never to betray yourself and never, ever
to
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 a point to
keep
smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful
possibility.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a deep breath and you
begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.
Author Unknown
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 he is not Prince Charming and you
are not
Cinderella and that in the real world there aren't always fairytale
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 bi*ching 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 as a result of all the messages and opinions that have been
ingrained into your psyche.
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, where you should shop, what you should drive, how and where you
should live, what you should do for a living, who you should sleep
with,
who you should marry, 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. And
you begin reassessing and redefining who you are 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. You stop maneuvering
through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix. Your
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, that 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 you learn the
importance
of setting boundaries and of 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 familiar love. You learn
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 beautiful, more
intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man or 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.
And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely. And you look in the
mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size
5 or a
perfect 10 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 you learn 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 decide you won't settle
for
less. And you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you to
glorify you with his or 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. 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, 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 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 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.
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 building 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 never to betray yourself and never, ever
to
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 a point to
keep
smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful
possibility.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a deep breath and you
begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.
Author Unknown