The Awakening

I found the following on this blog, but wanted to include it because I thought it was very good, and wanted to share it and remember it.

"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 deepbreath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best
youcan.
by Virginia Marie Swift