farnoosh

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 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 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. You begin to sift
through all the junk 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.

You 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 a stand, you take a
deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.