Just For Today...Choose Acceptance

And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation -- some fact of my life -- unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.

“We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy.”

''I have become my own version of an optimist.  If I can't make it
through one door, I'll go through another door--or I'll
make a door.  Something terrific will come
no matter how dark the present.''  Rabindranath Tagore.

Many feel refusing to be happy will somehow get them what whey want, like a child holding his breath.  Holding your breath will not get your what you want.  It is happiness that attracts.

So that's where I am, unsure of my itinerary, but confidant that this is the trip of my lifetime. Trusting that there are unseen tour guides who know this path well.  Feeling that I am in safe hands, even if my behavior seems so strange to me. Learning to be still, being okay with nothing to say, trusting the moment.  Navigating life without my shell.

“It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today.” -Lama Yeshe

Because this moment, right now, is your life. And where you are is where you have an opportunity to be happy. Not tomorrow, not where you’ll be then–but right now, in this time and place. That doesn’t mean you can’t strive for things you want. It just means you’ve realized getting where you want to be doesn’t require you to feel pain where you are.

''I have become my own version of an optimist.  If I can't make it
through one door, I'll go through another door--or I'll
make a door.  Something terrific will come
no matter how dark the present.''  Rabindranath Tagore.

Self-Love Self-Love Self-Love

As I Began to Love Myself – Self Love Poem by Charlie Chaplin

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering
are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth.
Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody
As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time
was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this
person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life,
and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow.
Today I call it “MATURITY”.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance,
I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens
at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm.
Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.

As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time,
and I stopped designing huge projects for the future.
Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do
and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in
my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for
my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew
me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude
a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since
I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry
about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING
is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me
and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my
mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this
connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing
new worlds are born.Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!

Tidbits of Morning Love

The Uni-verse is INFINITELY more intelligent than you or me, it will prevent things from manifesting in our lives because It knows it won’t serve our Higher Purpose. This can be hard news for our egos to take. Times like these may break our hearts, but the Truth is that times like these are wonderful times of Grace, of protection and are miracles.

We are here to be warriors of Love, not worriers of outcome. Just decide that when things go wrong, that they are actually going right for the first time.

Where ever you are. Be there. Or choose again. You are never stuck anywhere. You choose it all.

“Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.” ~Max Ehrmann

In Transition

A wise man once told me..."the only constant is change". Just kidding, I'm pretty sure I just read that on thinkexist or some other quote website I peruse for fun, but this is one true piece of knowledge. For many of us, the amount of change, uncertainty, and spontaneity is abundant, especially this time of year. With school year endings, seasons changing, and many of us leaving school to go back home, it may feel that with everything IN TRANSITION, there is no ground to walk on. What I'm learning, is that uncertainty is the ground we walk on. Because it is there every single moment of our lives. Even the things we think are certain, the things we're sure are going to happen a certain way, aren't really certain or set in stone. But how do we possibly stay calm in uncertainty? In the midst of change? When our lives feel in transition?

Firstly, know that everyone feels this way. No one enjoys not knowing what the future holds. We would all be more at ease if there was a plan, and we knew it! If we could get a blueprint for the next week, or six months, or year, it would be so much easier to take a deep breath. But the truth is, we will never get the plan. There is a plan, but it isin't our plan. So all we can do is trust in this moment. Take a deep breath in this moment, and trust that the rest of the plan will unfold as it may. Worrying doesn't actually have any effect on future events or happenings, although our minds deceive us somehow, that the more we worry, the better it will work out.

Focus on what you CAN count on, instead of what you CAN'T count on. You can't count on how people are going to act, what they're going to say, who is going to come, who is going to stay, who is going to leave, what grade you're going to get on the exam you took last week, or how much traffic there will be on the freeway tomorrow at rush hour. Although we would be happier to have certainty about some of those things, they are both out of our control and events of the future. So we must learn to turn our focus from things we can't control and count on, to things we can. The same way the only constant is change, the only thing we can count on is ourselves. How can you show up for yourself today? Can you make a plan to take a walk in the park this afternoon? Or go to your favorite bookstore? Create a day for yourself that you can count on. And although sometimes things won't go according to plan, your self-love and self-care are always CONSTANTS. So count on yourself, on your own presence, because the truth is...no matter what else remains or what changes, or what state you're currently in, or if you feel confused between your college home and your real home, you're still the same...nothing within you has actually changed...and that is a constant you can count on.

Remember how many times in the past the future seemed like this murky, uncertain, scary thing. If you are reading this, you've survived these moments. Today is the future you worried about yesterday. Somehow, we always get through the future moments we spent so much time overthinking, over analyzing. This is incredibly reassuring, because we can use it to tell ourselves "worrying doesn't help. it hasn't before. it won't now" Think about any time in the past things haven't been okay. You can't. It always is okay in the end.
So be present. Don't lose this moment. The future will come. This I can promise you. It will come whether you sit here for 2 hours and think about it or not.
If things are overcrowding your mind about the future, make a list of everything that is making you nervous. Just write it all down, and get it all out. Then fold the piece of paper and put it away somewhere. I'm sure in two days when you come across that piece of paper, half the things you wrote down got worked out.

Think of transition, change and uncertainty as the beauty of life. If you knew how everything was going to unfold what would be the purpose of waking up in the morning? The uncertainty means you get to discover what the day holds--one beautiful and exciting moment at a time.