This is your awakening.

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something, or someone, to change or for happiness,   safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.You come to terms with the fact that there aren’t always fairytale endings  (or beginnings for that matter)
and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you.

Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

So you begin making your way through the “reality of today”
      rather than holding out for the “promise of tomorrow.”You realize that much of whom you are, and the way you navigate through life is,
in great part, a result of all the social conditioning
you’ve received over the course of a lifetime.And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about:
      how you should look and how much you should weigh;
      what you should wear and where you should shop;
      where you should live or what type of car your should drive;
      whom your friends can be, and whom can’t;
      who you should sleep with and how you should behave;
      who you should marry and why you should stay;
      the importance of bearing children or what you owe your family;
      the family’s toxic “don’t trust, don’t feel, don’t touch, don’t talk” unspoken rules.

Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view.

And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really believe in.And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown  or should never have practiced to begin with.You accept the fact that you are not perfect
      and that not everyone will 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 come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a “perfect 10”…. Or a perfect human being for that matter…
      and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head
              or agonizing over how you compare.And, you make peace with the woman/man in the mirror and you learn
to give her/him the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others.

Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.

And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” hungry for your next fix,
a new dress, a new “toy”, another pair of shoes, another gadget,
or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends, or even strangers who pass by.. . . and you realize that when you get people’s approval by letting them control you,
there will be no end to it. . .
      and that if you gain a friend by caving in to all their desires,
      that will be the way you have to keep them the rest of your life.

Then you discover that “it is truly in giving that we receive” and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving.And you recognize the importance of “creating” & “contributing”
rather than “obtaining” & “accumulating.”And you give thanks for the simple things you’ve been blessed with,
things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about:
      a full refrigerator,
      clean running water,
      a soft warm bed,  the freedom of choice and
                      the opportunity to pursue your own dreams.

And you begin to love, and to care for, yourself.

You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors,
      including no longer participating in non-affirming,
      dysfunctional relationships,      for deep inside your awareness is growing,
              and these old patterns no longer serve you……You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising.And because you’ve learned that fatigue drains the spirit
      and creates doubt and fear   -  you give yourself permission to rest.

End of Part 1 (of 4) If you enjoyed reading this you might like to read parts  2 3 & 4.  If so, go to  http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/inspire3/awakening2.html 

 http://www.dawncoveabbey.org/healing-circle