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 he is not Prince Charming and you are 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 newly found confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop ****ing 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 & 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 the messages and
opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche.
And you begin to sift through all the crap you've been fed about how you
should behave, how you should look, how much you shouldn't 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 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 manovering 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.
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 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 ... just to make you happy.
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 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 will not 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.
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 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.
