My so-called Life

This is surely a "MUST READ"! I got this from Gia's forwarded message in our block's e-group...it surely is a "true awakening"! Hope you guys will like it too.It's kinda long, but it's worth it!

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 new found confidence is born
of self-approval.

You stop bitching 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 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 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, who 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.

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; 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 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 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 won't settle for less. You allow only the
hands of a lover who cherishes you, to glorify you
with his 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 God 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 God by your side you take stand, you take a
deep breath and you begin to design the life you
want to live as best as you can.

About Me

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