Our Journey

 I  believe that we are all on the same journey. With that said, I think that it is important to note that are journey takes many different paths and the path that you are on may be a different path then someone else is on. These paths are not necessarily right or wrong, they simply are different paths along are journey which we choose. We choose these paths consciously or unconsciously, however we do choose the path which we are on and we choose to change paths at times. It is important to  remember that as we may be on different paths, we also may be a different points of  awareness in our journey.

I point this out because as you are on your journey and you read and listen to differnet teachers, it is important to recogonize that depending on where you are at in your journey will often dictate how you interpet what you read and hear. 

There are often times when I read something or listen to someone speak and I don’t get what they are saying or I find that what they are saying does not speak to me at that moment. This is not a bad thing, this simply may mean that you are not yet ready for the lesson which is being taught. You may pick up the same reading material a week from now, or years from now and find that the lesson now speaks to you. The light bulb goes on and you say, “Wow! That is so simple, I get it, that makes so much sense”. This simply indicates that you are now at a place in your journey where you are ready to learn that lesson.

I hear people beating themselves up as they become aware of their journey and they get frustrated because the journey is not going as fast as they desire, or that the changes in the paths they are taking are not as seamless and as smooth as they would like them to be. Remember, every pebble along the journey is a lesson. Embrace the lessons, enjoy the journey.

The journey is the lesson, not the destination. Enjoy the scenery along the way, be aware of all that is there to see as you move along your journey. Appreciate the different paths. Enjoy the textures of each path, some are rough, some are smooth, some are hard, while some are cushioned, like sand beneath your feet. Some paths may even feel like mud, where you can get stuck at times. Embrace the paths, enjoy them for what they are and realize that you have many paths to choose from.

As you come across other students and teachers in your journey, recognize and understand that they may be at different points in their journey then you are. Take the time to learn from each other, for each of us are full of lessons to teach and hunger for the lessons that others have to teach us!

May your journey be full of love!

The Rear-view Mirror

If you were driving your car down the highway and you did nothing but look in your rear-view mirror, what would happen? You would crash! You would crash because you were focused on what was behind you and not where you were  at the present moment. Think about it, if you spent 90% of your time looking at your rear-view mirror, you would have the same result, 50% of the time, it might take a little longer, however you would still crash. How about 10% of your time? You get the point, you really can only glance into your rear-view mirror, which amounts to less then 1% of your time when you are driving.

Now, think about how this relates to your life. How much time do you spend looking in the “rear-view mirror” of your life? If you spend too much time looking at your past, then does it make sense that you will eventually crash? Sure it does! If you are constantly looking at the past, living in your past, beating yourself up for your past, or longing for the “good old days” of the past, then you are not living in the present and therefore you are going to crash, which translates to frustration and depression. You can’t effectively keep yourself in the present and past at the same time.

Is it important to look in the rear-view mirror of our life? Sure it’s important, we need to glance back every now and then to learn from our past, however it is just a glance. To live in the now, to live in the present is the key to “being”.

Once you are aware that you are living in the past and not living in the present, you are on the path to living in the present.

The next time you catch yourself living in the past for any amount of time, stop and bring yourself to the present moment, be aware.

You will be amazed how living in the present moment will change your daily life. The more you start being aware and bring yourself back to the present moment, the more satisfying you will find this life to be!

Be present today! Live in the Now!

The Impact of Our Thoughts

It is amazing the impact our thoughts have on ourselves and others. When you begin to realize the power of your thoughts, which translate to our words and actions. You then start to understand how much impact you have on this Universe on a moment to moment basis.

In the article (Act) As If, I referred to Jane Elliots, “Brown Eyed, Blue Eyed Experiment” where by an authourtity figure, in this case a teacher told her students that brown eyed people were proved to be smarter than blue eyed people and the students academic results were directly influenced by what she has said.  Dragonmommie in a recent comment refered to ”The Ripple or Butterfly Effect”, this is effect talks about how a butterfly flapping it’s wings in South America could impact a hurricane in China. The basic concept is that everything that happens has a ripple effect which has continued impact on the rest of the Universe.  Sophia referred to the Stanford Prison Experiment in her latest comment. This experiment had some students act as prisoners and the other students as prison guards. The Standford experiment demonstrated how the students in different roles changed in personality and actions. The changes in personality and actions in this experiment were so dramatic that the experiment had to be shut down for the safety of the students involved.

These three examples clearly illustrate the power of thought and how, because of our thoughts, our perceptions can quickly be altered and how are behavior changes to support our thought process.

As we understand the power of our thoughts, then we should also begin to understand the power of our words and actions.

We have all been affected by the words and actions of others, some of those affects have been very positive while others may have had very negative impacts on our life. We have the power to not only affect ourselves with our thoughts and actions, we wield the power to affect all of those that we come in contact with and because of the ripple effect, we also impact countless others by the things we think, say and do.

Today and everyday you have to power to change peoples life’s, you can choose to have a positive impact or a negative impact. The power to “Be The Change” resides with you! Desiree at “Lets Change the World” is a very good example of an individual who is dedicated to “Being The Change”.

Today, consider what you are thinking about, consider what vibrations those thoughts are emitting. Think about what you are saying to family, friends, co-workers, fellow students. Ask yourself, am I “being the change”, am I having a positive impact on myself and the Universe.

Recognize your power! You have choices to make every moment, may your choices be made with the intention of your spirit and not your ego. May your intentions be backed with love and peace!

(Act) As If

 

How different would you think and act if you knew  you were divine? In “The Monk’s Story“, the Rabbi suggests to the Abbot that “the messiah is one of you”. This mere suggestion challenges the monks to re-think about who they are. Could one of them be the messiah? They even explore the thought that they themselves could be the messiah. This change in thought pattern also changed their behavior towards themselves and each other.

This change in self perception and the perception of each other created a change in their behavior towards themselves and each other. The change, which was an increased reverence, love and respect for themselves and each other created an aura and vibration which attracted other people to them. The vibrations that their thoughts emanated were so strong and attractive that people enjoyed being around the monks. They enjoyed the feeling of being in their presence so much that some people wanted to experience first hand what they felt the monks were experiencing and asked to join their order. Hence the once dying order of monks began to thrive!

All of this took place because of a simple shift in thought. This simple shift in thought created the monks to re-invent themselves if you will. The monks self perception and thier perception of the other monks shifted and therefore their behavior shifted and in turn what they attracted shifted. 

In this case the monks saw themselves as divine which changed their reality. We too, can change our reality with a shift in how we perceive ourselves. Our reality is an illusion which we create. Now some of you may read this and say to yourself, “that doesn’t make sense, I can change how I think, however my reality is still my reality. I can see myself being successful, loved, etc. However my reality is still what it is”. If you are thinking this, then you are mixing up “your reality” with your “Life Situation”. These are two separate things, your life situation is what is happening in your life at this moment. Your life situation is often a result of “your reality”, that is, your perception of who you are, your “reality”.

By changing your reality (how you precieve yourself),  then you are on the road to changing your life situation, because when we change our reality, we change our thought and behavior patterns which in turn change the vibrational energy which we emit to the Universe which in turn changes what we attract into our life which changes our “life situation”.

Makes sense, doesn’t it? We know of many examples where this has happened, one very well known and documented one is Jane Elliot’s “Brown eyed, Blue eyed Experiment“ . Give someone an IQ test and tell them they scored at genius level, watch how they change, watch how other people change in how they react to this person. Watch someone at work who is promoted into a management position and you likely see some outward changes such as they dress in suits and ties, they speak with more confidence, they react differently to changes in policy and procedures. Why do these changes occur, not because somebody waved a magic wand or sprinkled fairy dust on them, they change because they have a shift in how they now perceive themselves (their thoughts), which changes their behavior, which changes their impact on the world at large.

The key learning is that you have the power to re-invent yourself at any moment. You are what you think you are. Your limits are simply an illusion of your mind. Your lables that you apply to yourself are simply an illusion.

The truth is that you are divine, that you are powerful, that you have ability to be whoever you desire to be. You can choose to change, to grow, to be!

“The state of your life is nothing more

than a reflection of your state of mind.”

 

– Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Sometimes we simply need to get out of our own way!

Act As If – The Monk’s Story

  A monastery has fallen on hard times. It was once part of a great order which, as a result of religious persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, lost all of it’s branches. It was decimated to the extent that there were only five monks left in the mother house: the Abbot and four others, all of whom were over seventy. Clearly it was a dying order.

Deep in the woods surrounding the monastery was a little hut that the Rabbi from a nearby town occasionally used for a hermitage. One day, it occurred to the Abbot to visit the hermitage to see if the Rabbi could offer any advice that might save the monastery. The Rabbi welcomed the Abbot and commiserated, “I know how it is,” he said, “the spirit has gone out of the people. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore.” So the old Rabbi and the old Abbot wept together, and they read parts of the Torah and spoke quietly of deep things.

The time came when the Abbot had to leave. They embraced. “It has been wonderful being with you,” said the Abbot, “but I have failed in my purpose for coming. Have you no advice that might save the monastery?” “No, I am sorry,” the Rabbi responded, “I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you”

When all of the other monks heard the Rabbi’s words, they wondered what possible significance they might have. “The Messiah is one of us? One of us, here, at the monastery? Do you suppose he meant the Abbot? Of course – it must be the Abbot, who has been our leader for so long. On the other hand, he might have meant Brother Thomas, who is undoubtedly a holy man. Certainly he couldn’t have meant Brother Elrod – he’s so crotchety. But then Elrod is very wise. Surely, he could not have meant Brother Phillip – he’s too passive. But then, magically, he’s always there when you need him. Of course, he didn’t mean me – yet supposing he did? Oh Lord, not me! I couldn’t mean that much to you, could I?”

As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect, on the off chance that one of them might be the Messiah. And on the off off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.

Because the forest in which it was situated was beautiful, people occasionally came to visit the monastery, to picnic or to wander along the old paths., most of which led to the dilapidated chapel. They sensed the aura of extraordinary respect that surrounded the five old monks, permeating the atmosphere. They began to come more frequently, bring their friends, and their friends brought friends. Some of the younger men who came to visit began to engage in conversation with the monks. After a while, one asked if he might join. Then another, and another. Within a few years, the monastery became once again a thriving order, and thanks to the Rabbi’s gift – a vibrant, authentic community of light and love for the whole realm. – Author Unknown

I find a number of lessons in this story which I will write about tomorrow. I would love to hear what lessons  you derived from this story.  

Relationship DaJa Vu – Part III – Relationship Addiction

 

In part I and II of this article we discussed some of the reasons why we continue to attract the same type of people into our life and how changing our thoughts and behavior patterns will change the type of people we attract into our life. 

Today, we will discuss why we become addicted to a person whom we have attracted into our life to the point where we keep giving them another chance despite the are “knowing” that we are not in a relationship with the type of person who enhances our life, who loves us unconditionally, who respects us, who accepts us for who we are, etc.

Note addiction as I use it in this article is defined as  ” a dependency of the mind, which can lead to psychological withdrawal symptoms “.

 With this definition in mind it is true that we can become addicted to another person. The question is why do we become addicted to a person whom we know is not the type of person that we want to be in a relationship with.

The reality is that addictive behavior is never good. We should not be addicted to anyone. There is a difference between being addicted to a person and being in a long term loving relationship.

Being addicted to another person means that we truly believe, despite how miserable we may be with this person,  that we cannot live without them, that we cannot properly funciton without this person in our life.  From the moment we do separate from this person we experience so much pain that we must have this person back. We shut down when this person is not in our life, we make ourselves ill over the absence of this person. We know (as any addict knows, that this addiction is not healthy), however we are overcome by the addiction and keep attracting, inviting this person back into our life.

The good news about this type of addiction is, it is all of our own making, it is purely mental! Which means, although we may have to go through some sort of withdraw, we can make a choice to make the change, to go though withdraw with the knowing that we will come out the other side a much healthier person. We can choose to break our addictive behavior.

Note, I am not saying this is easy, matter of fact in some ways this can be one of the most difficult addictions to break. Why, because the thing that you are addicted to in this case is a person  with a voice and the method to reach out to you, to beg you for yet another chance, to say that they will change and become the type of person you want. This addiction will literally call out your name and say things to manipulate your emotions.

As in any change, you must be committed, you may need to seek support from family, friends and professional services. The bottom line, you can choose to break your addiction to this person!

I suggest that if you believe you are in an addictive relationship that you do the following exercise:

- Find a quiet place

- Reflect on your current relationship

- Now step outside yourself, become the observer

- Note what you see, who you see as the observer

- Once you make the decision to make the change, break your addiction

- Acknowledge the emotions that you will go through as part of the change, acknowlege  the withdraw that you will feel

- As you go through the withdraw and the roller coaster of emotions, step outside of yourself and become the observer. Observe what is happening. As you observe yourself, note how strong and powerful you can be and  visualize how you will be as you complete the withdraw, how you will be, as your light shines brighter and brighter as you free yourself from the bonds of the prison that you made for yourself!

Note there are many reason besides being addicted to another person that we stay in a relationship with someone who is not the type of person we desire to be with, some of them are:

- Financial Security

- For the good of the children

- The Comfort Factor – that is, we are comfortable in our misery, we are comfortable with what we know and uncomfortable with the unknown.

- We believe, despite all proof that tells us other wise, that the other person will change

- We believe that the relationship problems are caused by our  inadequacy

- We do not believe we are worthy of love

- We don’t want to lose all of the material things that we have acquired

- We do not believe that we will find someone else and we will be left all alone

- You fear for your saftey

- We compare our relationships to other relationships we have observed such as our parents relationship, friends and family and we say “well, compared to the relationships I know of, the relationship that I am in is really not that bad.

These are justifications! Believe me, if you really desire to make the change, you are willing to do what it takes to make the change, you will find a way to make the change. One of the things I know without any doubt is that when you want to remove yourself from an unhealthy relationship, you will find a way and be willing to make the changes in your life to make it happen. In other words you will blow the justifications and excuses out of the water and make the change happen!

Relationship DeJa Vu Part II

 

In Relationship Deja Vu Part I, we discussed  some reasons why we tend to attract the same type of person into our life. We explored why opposites attract and that to change the type of person that we attract we need to change our thought and behavior patterns.

Meredith from Reki 4 Life,  made a very good observation. She stated that another possible reason that we continue to attract the same type of people into our life, is because these people are here to teach us a lesson and until we learn the lesson that these people are here to teach us, the Universe will keep presenting the lesson to us. This is a very keen observation. It is very true that everyone comes into our life for a reason. All who come into our life are teachers and we must be aware to learn the lesson that they are here to teach. It is very true, we are here to learn lessons and these lessons will be repeated in our life until we learn the lesson. Therefore it makes sense that one of the reasons that we continue to attract the same type of people into our life is because we have not yet learned a particular lesson that we need to learn on our journey.

With that said, if you are not happy with the people that you have been attracting into your life you need to do the following:

1. Determine what are the traits of the type of person that you want to attract into your life.

2. Change your thought patterns, knowing that what you focus on expands. Ensure your focus is on what you really want!

3. Change your behavior patterens, i.e. who you socialize with, where you socialize, etc.

4.  Attract people into your life rather then chase after people that you believe you desire.

5.  Find happiness in yourself first- do not expect another person to bring that happiness into your life.

6. Remember to be the student, be aware of the lessons that the people who come into our life our here to teach us.

Note, I stated in Part I of this article that one of the major problems in relationships is that opposites attract and that we are often drawn to the opposite personality for the wrong reasons.  I would like to clarify my point by sayingthat there are always differences in personalities, that in some ways our personalities are going to have some opposite elements. When I refer to opposites attract, I am refering  to extreme opposites. It is very rare that extreme opposite personalities will be able sustain a long term, loving relationship. Relationships that thrive and survive are normally comprised of two people who have similar values and goals. The adage that “love conquers all” is true, however  this adage is not talking of romantic love. Romantic love does not conquer all, as is demonstrated by the huge number of relationships that start out with deep romantic love only to end with those same two people who at the begining who were so in love  are now to the point where they can’t stand each other.

Some people are addicted to “falling in love”. These people love the idea and feeling of a new relationship, they love the newness of a relationship, the courting stage, the euphoric feeling of “being in love”. Of course the love that we speak of here is “romantic love”, which often is very different thansoulful, unconditional love. Romantic love can be very addictive and the reality of romantic love is that the euphoria, the passion and the romance of new romantic love is unsustainable. At the beginning of a relationship where we fall into romantic love, we deceive ourselves into believing that this “love” and all of it’s feelings will last forever and that this “love” will overcome any differences or red flags that we come across. Inevitably, for most people, when this feeling of euphoria begins to wane, we become dissatisfied with the relationship and start to see the red flags for what they are and the relationship may end.  We then go into search mode, (without learning any real lessons from the past relationship) and find someone, (usually very similar to who we just finished a relationship with) and begin the “falling in love” cycle all over again. This is addictive behavior.

To change this behavior, we must first recognize our behavior for what it is. Once we become aware of our addictive behavior, then we need to make decisions on what we really are seeking from a relationship and make the changes in our thought and behavior patterens to facilitate the change in who we attract into our life. To read and example of person who made this type of change read Dragonmommie’s comment in Part I of this article.

Note, please understand that I am not discounting romantic love, I believe in romance and I believe that romance is a much needed aspect of any long term, successful relationship. What I am saying is that romantic love alone will not sustain a relationship.

We still need to discuss, why we stay with a person in a relationship that we know is not the type of person that we want to be with. We will discuss that in part III tomorrow.

I want to thank Grace for giving me the inspiration for this series of articles.

Relationship DeJa Vu Part I

 

“I am so fed up with relationships, why do I keep falling for the same type of guy/girl over and over again”? ”I thought this one would be different but, she/he is the same as all of the others.”  “Men/Women, there all the same”! Sound familiar? Have you heard yourself saying these types of things? Are you currently in yet another relationship that seems like deja vu?

If you are in this type of relationship or recently have been, you know what I mean. You could almost write the story of how this relationship is going to go, before it happens, because you know the pattern so well.

There are two questions which beg to be answered;

1. Why do I keep attracting the same type of person into my life and why do I fall for this type of person?

2. Why, once I realize that I am in yet another relationship that is not the type of relationship which I desire, do I stay?

Let’s start with the first question, why do I keep attracting the same type of person into my life and why do I continue to fall for this type of person?

Let’s break this down, why do I keep attracting the same type of person into my life? There are a number of reasons this could be happening. One of the big reasons is the one that we all hear and know so well, “Opposites Attract”. This is often true, we tend to attract and be attracted to people who are opposite personalities to us. We are often attracted to opposites because we see something in that person that we perceive to be missing in our own life. The “something” that we see in this person is often an element of danger or excitement, maybe a more carefree attitude, or a more stable lifestyle than our own. In the opposite personality we often see something that we perceive to fill a gap in our own life.  This difference at first is often fun and exciting! We love the difference that this person brings to our life! We get caught up in the whole concept of a this new person, the possibilities of a relationship, the physical attraction, the unbridled attention that this new person is giving us, the fun of the exploratory phase of any new relationship, etc. We get so caught up in the newness of the relationship that we often disregard, or justify the red flags that pop up, deceiving ourselves that this one is so different than the others who have gone before him/her.

As the newness wears off, we then begin to realize that the “opposites” of the other person that we found so exciting and attractive now are the very things that drive us nuts, the very things that were the undoing of our last relationship and the one before that! Ugh! How did this happen?

This happened because:

1. Opposites often attract

2. We let our emotions rule over our spiritual self

3. We practiced self deception at every turn in the newness of the relationship

4. We thought that we could change the things about the person that we didn’t like

5. We gave into that nagging feeling of, “What if this is my last chance, I don’t want to be alone forever”.

6. We did not listen to our inner self

7. We did not set real expectations of what we desire in a relationship

8. We were not honest with ourselves or the other person in regards to what we want and expect from a relationship

9. We (and this is a big one) are not in tune with who we are, not happy with ourselves as an individual and secretly we expect the other person to “complete” us.

Another reason that we continue to attract the same type of person into our lives is because we continue to behave and think the same way. If I don’t change my behavior and my thought patterns that why would I think it would be reasonable to expect that my results would change? Pure insanity isn’t it? I continue to behave and think as I always have, yet I expect that by some miracle I will attract a different type of person into my life.

Let’s talk about thought and behavior patterns in a little more detail. We tend to meet new people through our social circle. We either meet people at work, through our freinds, or at the places that we hang out, bars, church, social events, etc. If we are not meeting the type of person whom we desire to enter a relationship with, then one of the things we need to change is where and how we meet people.

We also need to make changes in our thought patterns, that is, we attract what we think about. So, to attract the type of person that you desire, you must first define what type of person that you want to attract! This is huge!!! Most of us, really do not put too much thought into this, nor do we put much thought into how this person, who we want to attract will impact our life.

As you are sitting there making a mental list of the qualities that you are looking for in the person you wish to attract, you also need to think about the impact that you are looking to achieve by attracting this person into your life. Big hint, the impact of attracting the right type of person into your life is not to achieve “happiness”. This is an illusion and an unrealistic expectation. Finding Mr/Miss Right, will not be the thing that brings unbridled happiness into your life. You have to find that happiness within yourself first! No other person will ever be able to make you happy, you have to do that on your own! Another person may and should enhance your happiness, however they will not make you happy.

There is much more ground to cover on this subject. We will continue this discussion in Part II tomorrow.

Spring is Here and Change Is In the Air!

“You cannot add to the peace and good will of the world if you fail to create and atmosphere of harmony and love right where you live and work”

 - Thomas Dreier

 

Today is the first day of Spring! Spring is such a wonderful season, it’s a season of newness and rebirth. We shed off the old coat of Winter and welcome the warmth, freshness and newnessof Spring.  Many of us get an extra spring in our step and a broader smile on our face as the earth warms, the birds sing, and the foliage blooms.

With our moods elevated by the promise of Spring and all that it brings to us, this is a great time to understand and embrace the changes that we want to make in our life. This is a wonderful time to, as the above quote says, “create an atmosphere of love right where you live and work”!

It all begins with us! Each of us have the ability to make this world a better place. It is our choice to create an atmosphere of peace and love with our thoughts and actions. Every moment we can choose to spread love and peace in this world. What we focus on expands, and by focusing on thoughts of peace and love we will expand peace and love out to the Universe and make this world a better place for all of us.

Spring is a great reminder that change can be a wonderful thing, that change is often an opportunity to refresh and grow.

Where ever you are in the world today, I encourage you to step outside today or whatever the next day that the sun is shining and close your eyes, turn your face upwards to the sun and feel the warmth, listen to the songs that the birds are singing, revel in the joy of the season, use all of your senses and get lost in the beauty of the nature that surrounds us. Feel the love and peace that is within you and send your  love and peace out to the Universe!  

Embrace this season of change!

Peace and Love to All!

In The Blink of An Eye

“Lost, yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever”

- Horace Mann

Each moment is precious, it only exists for that moment and then it is gone, forever, never to be again. So many of us squander our time. We squander our time on things that we know are not serving us or the universe in which we live.

Our time here on earth is gone in a blink of an eye. I am sure that if you sit and reflect on your life so far, you will understand how fast it goes by. “Seems just like yesterday when …”

This life does pass so very fast, and it seems to pass faster all of the time. We really don’t have time to squander on being angry, resentful or waiting for that one thing to happen that will bring untold happiness into our life! Our time is simply too precious.

I will not sit here and judge what is not good use of your time. This is something that must be assessed by each of us. Sometimes the best use of your time may be sitting in silence doing nothing, sometimes it may be time to be entertained, other times it is taking care of the things you need to take care of in the course of a normal day. The point is only you know what is the best use of your time. Only you know if you are squandering your time away. Of course, this takes being very honest with yourself.

The following are some suggested steps that you can use today to help ensure that you live fully in the short time that you are here:

1. In the morning map out your day:

       – what do I need to do today?

       – what will I allow myself to focus on today?

       – who will I touch today?

       – what affect will I have on the people I touch today?

      - how can I have a positive impact on the people I will touch today?

        – Is what I have planned today, the best possible use of my time and energy?

2. I will not waste time in a worried state today!

3. I will not waste time being angry today!

4. I will not waste time being resentful today!

5. I will live in today.

6. I will live in and enjoy each moment.

7. I will recognize that the present is all I have and I will treat it as a “present”.

8. I will embrace and send love to all of the people in my life today as if I won’t have another day to do so, because I understand that tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

9. I will be fully engaged as a citizen of this world and the Universe today.

10. I will not get lost in the future and pin my happiness on events yet to come, I will embrace today and find happiness within myself.

Wake up, be aware as of this moment, realize that all that is today, will be gone in a blink of an eye. Be one who knows at the end of this human life that you lived fully and have no regrets on how you spent your time here on earth.