The Awakening

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You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.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 deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.

- - by Sonny Carroll

Ontwaak

De zomer lijkt op zijn eind, maar het wordt vast nog lekker weer. Dat denk ik terwijl ik af en toe naar buiten kijk. Wind en regen! Vanmiddag met mijn dochter naar zwemles en ik heb er helemaal geen zin in.

Vannacht slecht geslapen. Gewoon, omdat mijn hoofd vol zit met allerlei gedachten. Niks erg hoor, het gaat om zaken die helemaal niet bijzonder zijn. In ieder geval niet dingen om je druk over te maken. Maar ze galopperen door mij hoofd en komen naar boven in vage en onrustige dromen. Ik probeer het maar te laten gebeuren, er niet tegen vechten of me er zorgen over maken. Maar ik wil er graag mee om leren te gaan. Want ik vind het wel vermoeiend en lekker slapen is zo heerlijk!

De dingen die door mijn hoofd spoken gaan over zaken die staan te gebeuren. Zwemles, cadeau kopen voor iemand die jarig is, 3 x een afspraak het komende weekend, enzovoort. Zonde is dat, want ik zit helemaal niet met mijzelf in het 'nu', maar hou me (soms) bezig met zaken die geweest zijn en vooral met zaken die nog moeten komen.

Daardoor ben ik me niet bewust van het moment zelf. Dat vind ik jammer, want ik denk dat het veel leuker en prettiger is om dat wel te zijn. Om de dingen gewoon te laten komen, zonder daar van te voren zo mee bezig te zijn.

Eergisteren heb ik een boek uit mijn kast gehaald. Dat boek had ik al een hele tijd geleden gekocht, maar ik had het nog niet gelezen. Het heet "Boeddhisme in alle eenvoud" en het is inderdaad een eenvoudig boek, zonder ingewikkelde woorden, goed te volgen dus. Het is geschreven door Steve Hagen.

Het centrale thema is ontwaken en bewust leven in het hier en nu. Gek, dat ik nou net dit boek uit de kast pak......

- Wij bewegen ons door het leven alsof we door een smalle greppel kruipen en worden helemaal in beslag genomen door onbelangrijke dingen die we zien en horen, en door onze vooroordelen. We gaan aan de vreugde van het leven voorbij zonder ooit te beseffen dat we iets missen. Geen moment genieten we van de bedwelmende wijn van de vrijheid. We liggen vastgeketend op de vloer van een kerker en kunnen ons niet meer bewegen.