The Awakening

The Awakening



by Sonny Carroll










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.

My 17 Day Diet Challenge

I know everyone has been hearing of this amazing new book that promotes a healthy way of losing weight and keeping it off. I have decided to challenge myself to this as well. I am staying accountable and one way is through my blog, so at each cycle I will be sharing my results. I started on Feb 12th and already feel hydrated, more energetic and lighter! Down 5 lbs already:) First cycle is up on Feb 28th, see you back then!!!!!

The Dew Drop

As the sun rose, a dew drop became aware of its surroundings. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight and throwing it back out. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very content. Around it were other dew drops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves round about. The dew drop was sure that it was the best, the most special dew drop of them all.







Ah, it was good to be a dew drop.






The wind rose and the plant began to shake, tipping the leaf. Terror gripped the dew drop as gravity pulled it towards the edge of the leaf, towards the unknown. Why? Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?






The dew drop reached the edge of the leaf. It was terrified, certain that it would be smashed into a thousand pieces below, sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried desperately to do whatever it could to cling to the leaf, but it was no use.






Finally, it let go, surrendering to the pull of gravity. Down, down it fell. Below there seemed to be a mirror. A reflection of itself seemed to be coming up to meet the dew drop. Closer and closer they came together until finally...






And then the fear transformed into deep joy as the tiny dew drop merged with the vastness that was the pond. Now the dew drop was no more, but it was not destroyed.






It had become one with the whole.

The Triple Filter Test!!!

ANYTIME YOU ARE TEMPTED TO REPEAT SOMETHING JUICY YOU HEARD TO A FRIEND, IT WOULD BE WISE TO REMEMBER THESE WORDS FROM SOCRATES:

The Triple-Filter Test


Author Unknown





In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"



"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"



"Well, no," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and…"



"All right," said Socrates. "So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now, let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"



"Umm, no, on the contrary…"



"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left—the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"



"No, not really."



"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Impossible??

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE VITAMINS AND STILL NOT FEEL BETTER?

Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of health. Our body makes no minerals and sadly the soil has been depleted of precious minerals from improper crop rotation, over-pesticide use and damaging UV rays from holes in the ozone layer.


The National Institute of Health has stated that every person needs DAILY supplements to maintain health and boost the immune system.

#1 side effect of malnutrition is obesity. WHY?



Because the brain keeps sending signals to eat to secure precious vitamins, minerals and water. What does the average American reach for when they are hungry? Do they reach for broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cabbage and a glass of water? NO - they reach for a carbohydrate (which turns to sugar in the body). Looks like a vicious cycle, don't you think?

WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE VITAMINS AND STILL NOT FEEL BETTER?

Because, in most cases, only 5 - 7% of the vitamins and minerals are absorbed into the cells. The Physician's Desk Reference Manual(PDR), which is the publication Doctor's refer readily to, states that cell absorption of vitamins and minerals absorb at 10% or less. (i.e.if a nutrient had 100 mgs, your body would only absorb 10 mgs or less).



Do you Oligo? Don't know what this means?





10 Times More Available for Absorption

Only Oligo binds minerals to organic compounds (amino acids and oligofructose) to mirror the way they are found in fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods to maximize solubility.



In fact, Oligo minerals are scientifically proven to be up to 10 times more available for absorption than the minerals in the leading brands.* Traditional mineral forms can crystallize in the intestines, making them difficult to absorb. Labels don’t indicate the rate of solubility, availability, or absorption or the nutrients inside.



Minerals in traditional supplements can trigger massive free radical activity during digestion. These free radicals can actually cancel out the benefits of antioxidants like vitamins C and E. Oligo minerals are different. Oligo protects these critical antioxidants up to 5 times better than the leading brands. As a result, your body gets more of the nutrition it needs most for more energy every day and a lifetime of better health.

Why Friends With Kids Don't Have Time.....