As we close out 2010, I want to thank all of you for being a blessing in my life! We have been through a lot, but I truly believe that what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. I know this has certainly been the case for me. I finally surrendered. What did I surrender? My ego. I stopped lying to myself that everything was ok. I dropped all inner resistance and started being honest with myself. I feel a sense of inner peace now that I never knew was possible. I am certain I would not have gotten to this point so early in my life had I not experienced what I did.
To live in denial and avoidance is to prefer death over life. Others may have lied to us for years, but to lie to ourselves is no longer acceptable. It's no way to live. You can't run from yourself, avoid your feelings, or deny your reality for any longer. No one who is lying to themselves is living in the light of consciousness. Enlightenment is what we all seek, but in order to achieve this, we first must be honest with ourselves about our situation. We cannot avoid anger and fear. We must feel these feelings, confront them and process them before we can truly move on.
We should never be afraid to ask for support from others in our quest to evolve. I believe we are all interconnected. If we need to heal, we must reach out to others. If you have learned anything from my story, I hope you have learned that people only hurt themselves when they disconnect or withdraw from others. Being afraid to ask for help only leads to further isolation. Humans cannot thrive in isolation. Do not endure this alone. We are here for you.
It was Lord Tennyson who said "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.“ Please remember this and do not close yourself off from others because you have been hurt. You were born giving and receiving love and you are still capable of loving in every way that’s humanly possible. Embrace your ability to feel love and compassion. It’s truly a gift.
I’m not a religious person, but I am very spiritual. I believe in a higher power, a higher energy that makes the sun come up every day. It's our responsibility to tap into that energy that exists within us. We all possess the energy to make the sun come up in our lives every day.
When we stop lying to ourselves, accept what we can and cannot control and begin living in the moment, we finally start to live in a state of consciousness that will bring us happiness. It's that simple. It may sound complicated, but it's really not.
Every day is a gift and every day we wake up, we have a choice. A choice about whether we want to tap into our positive energy or wallow in negative energy. Happiness is a choice we all have. It’s not about what happens to us. It’s about how we respond to life that matters.
We must lighten up, relax and go easy on ourselves. Many of us find it easy to have compassion for others, but have very little for ourselves. It never occurs to us to feel it for ourselves. Living life with an unconditional love for ourselves changes everything. We get rid of the “should haves” and “could haves” and gradually discover ourselves by being honest and staying in the moment. Without any agenda except for being real, we begin to find ourselves again. We assume responsibility for being here in this messy world and realize how precious life is. By learning from the moments in life, we become more compassionate and can aspire to live in the now. We can relax and open our heart and mind to what is right in front of us in the moment. We see, feel and experience everything more vividly. This is living. Now is the time to experience enlightenment. Not some time in the future. The present is all we really have.
It is my hope and belief that The Six Steps to Recovery included in my upcoming book "Surviving a Toxic Relationship" and discussed in our new forum will allow you to find yourself again and tap into your innate potential in the new year ahead. There is a whole new world out there waiting for you. Embrace it!
If you're ready to work The Six Steps to Recovery, please join us at:
www.allaboutrecoverynetwork.com
Cheers to making it a great 2011!
Lots of Love,
Lisa