STORIES THAT I HAVE FOUND

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 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 come galloping over the next horizon You come to terms with the fact that

neither of you is Prince Charming or 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 complaining and blaming other people for things they did to you (or didn’t do for you)

and you learn that the only thing you can really count on in 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 and

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. And you begin to sift

through all the junk you’ve been fed about how you should behave, how you should look, how

much you should weigh, what you should wear, what you should drive, how and where you

should live, who you should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you

owe your parents, family, and friends.



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 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 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.



How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away.



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.



And you learn that alone does not mean lonely.



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 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.



And you learn that you body really is your temple. And 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 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 the only thing you must truly fear is the greatest robber baron of all: 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.



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 the Great Spirit 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 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 warm bed, a 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.



And 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 the Great Spirit 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 you can.



~author unknown~