I believe everything happens for a reason and you are always exactly where you should be.

So stop and look around my friend. You are exactly where you are meant to be. It is the choices you’ve made that have led you to where you are today. If you don’t like your surroundings, you stand in the face of choice.

That’s really all we have in this life isn’t it? Choice. You can choose to change your attitude towards the situation, empowering yourself to choose happiness or you can make a choice that will change your direction.

How do you know where to change your direction to?

Choose. If you don’t know where you are going in life, chances are you haven’t decided where you want to go.  It’s like you have jumped in your car and started driving with no destination. Now that will get you one of two places, lost or right back where you started because you’ll stay on familiar roads. Both places will end up making you frustrated and ultimately depressed.

I don’t want to tell you what to do with your life. Only you can make that decision. I want to share with you what I have done and continue to do with mine.

I stop feeling sorry for myself.

Now I’m not going to lie, sometimes I give myself a minute of self loathing. It usually always ends with me asking myself, “How’s that working out for you?” Then I have to laugh because 10 out of 10 times, I know that it only makes me feel worse.  It’s in the laughing at myself that I remember the only thing I really have control over in my life, is my attitude.

I change my attitude.

The best way I have found to change my attitude is gratitude. No matter how awful my current situation is, there is always something I can be grateful for.  At the moment of my greatest sadness I start saying all the things I am grateful for. I’m grateful I’m alive, for my boyfriend, my sister and family. That I am healthy, that the sun’s out, that it’s summer or that I have a reliable car.

It could be anything I can think of and I challenge myself to keep rattling things off. I do this until I start to feel better. It reminds me that there are people out there that have it worse than me. People who would give anything to have my troubles. It starts to put things into perspective for me.

The truth is we all have struggles, but they do not define us. 

Forgive. Forgive yourself first.

Then anyone else who you believe has wronged you along the way. You don’t have to call them up and make a big deal about it, unless you feel that’s what’s necessary. You just make it right with your own heart. Forgiveness heals all emotional wounds. It does not make wrongs right; it just allows us the space to accept them.

Accept. It is what it is. Period.

Now at this point I may revert back to feeling sorry for myself but I quickly run the cycle of, “How’s that working for you?” until I find myself all the way back at accepting because that’s all I can do. I can not move forward in my life until I do. Once I truly accept where I am or what may have happened, I find myself at the place of choice. It is a beautiful place to be, choice.  It’s empowering!

Choose. Do not fear choice.

Choice is the exact moment when you regain control of your life, so it’s important to makes choices that empower you and make you feel good about yourself.  Listen to your inner voice.  Sometimes it may scare you but the scarier it is, the more likely it’s the right thing to do. Then, are you ready for the last step?

Move. You start moving in that direction.

Once you are in motion it’s amazing how things will line up for you and get out of your way, but you’ve got to be in motion first. Good things do not come to those who wait, they come to those who get up and get after it.

This is our one life to live.  Live it powerfully and fully. Be the change you want to see, get after the things that inspire you, love the ones you are with and find what ever brings you peace. If you are in a bad relationship, job or addiction… get out of it.  I promise you this, if I’ve learned anything…

“There is no prince on a white horse, or fairy god mother coming to save your ass!” 

Write back soon, love Annie.

82 of 90 meditating…

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