Choice

How do YOU choose to Live? I have been told, and believe, that in our human incarnations we have “free will.” We can make choices. In every situation we find our way into, we have choices on what to do and how to react to what is perceived regarding this situation. We can choose to be responsible for our behaviors and our circumstances. Or, we can choose to act as if we are victims. We control and choose how we react, at some level, and how we choose to respond. And, no matter what, we can choose to learn from every interaction we participate within. When we find ourselves in a difficult, even a dangerous, challenge can we learn from it and take responsibility for what occurs? It is sometimes not easy to take responsibility when our lives are confronted by less than ideal situations. (But, what good does it do to find blame?)

You have a choice to live in Love and Light and to find Joy and Miracles in your life. From a different perspective, you have the choice to look for the negative or the pain or the victimhood in almost any interaction. Which do you most commonly choose? And, Why? Life is not always a magical, lovely experience. There are insights to find when the road seems dark. In fact, in my life, I can say that I have learned more from my mistakes and difficult experiences than I have learned from times which seemed easy and when things have gone as well as expected. My life has been blessed with experiences you can define as easy/good and many which are difficult and pain filled. We have all had these as bumps in our road through life. How YOU choose to perceive and to learn from the “hard times” is up to you. But, try this on… Life is a miracle filled with amazing gifts and joys! You do have to look for these, especially when the emotional road seems darkened by difficult relations.

Let me ask you a question. If you knew you had only a few months to live, what would you choose to do with your remaining time in this life? Stop for a minute and really allow this concept to find its way into your waking consciousness. And, answering this question, why are you NOT doing these end of life optional activities with your life NOW!??? Consider the excuses you are using and ask yourself if you can LIVE with these reasons for not living the life you might want. Sure, you can not always drop out of current life to run willy nilly into another life. However, you can consider your options and find motivation to move in a different direction. Would you have regrets if at the end of your life you did not get to do certain things? Why are you choosing to not do these experiences? Life is for living. Choose to live in the Light and to find Joy!

The amazing power we have as humans is to make choices. We often live lives of quiet desperation where we do not challenge ourselves and sit back while life seems to happen to us. This is a choice! You have awareness and this power to choose to do your life differently. Most of us, need to do some research, make a new life plan, and take steps to follow through even when we may lack some of the new skills required and good support. We have all done this in some fashion. When I left home, for good, at the age of 19, I had no idea where this would lead. I worked three jobs and saved money. I turned 20 in Europe. When I returned from this travel, I moved 400 miles from where I grew up. No regrets. And, no excuses or what ifs… This is what I wanted and needed to do at that time in my life. Without a lot of family or work responsibility this was fairly easy compared with some people’s situations. And, it takes a driven commitment to jump into a new life. My move was driven by frustration and anger with my environment and the politics of that time. It takes some consideration but you can choose to do your life differently. Sometimes the smallest awareness can lead to a tiny change which can lead to a much larger lifestyle shift. Just know that you can make new choices. This alone gives you power. AND, where ever you are in your life, YOU made the choices, at some level, to be in your current situation. And, it has been useful for your learning, even if, you learned what not to do… (Human life is NEVER going to be perfect or always easy. It is tough and that is why we are here, in this life, to be challenged to find wisdom and joy even when our lives are difficult.)

You made the choice to read this posting all the way to this point. You found these words and you made the effort to read them. These choices alone prove that you are open and willing to consider what is possible in life! Consider how incredible it is to be open to searching for alternative choices. Yes, you even have to be brave to allow these words to find their way into your consciousness. AND, you have allowed yourself to be open enough to consider these ideas. Imagine how brave all pioneers are when they set out on their life changing adventures, traveling into unknown territory. For what ever their motivation for change is, they have pushed through doubt and made their choices. Adventures always make for possible learnings and great stories, so remember to share your adventure travels through life. Yes, even if what you have to share is what NOT to do. Yes, you have the choice to share your stories…

And Yes, YOU are a miracle. No matter how you choose to react to these words, you are amazing and a Blessing!

Thanks JJ Joshua. For JJ’s Thoughtful Thursday video reminder regarding your choice for how you live follow this link for inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkVc8pjKECw

On My Own Terms

Almost everyone would like some control or a lot of control over their lives. We have choices regarding many things which can come forward in our human incarnations. Sometimes things seem to happen that we could not control but chances are we had some role in choosing part or all of the circumstances we may have seemed to stumble into. If we take responsibility for our lives and our choices, we have a better chance of learning or experiencing what we came “here,” into this incarnation, to experience. This will include how we choose to transition out of this incarnation. Boy, did I just piss some people off… This is an emotional issue on many levels.

Leaving this life on my own “fully conscious” terms is a possibility and would be powerful to consider. One example, in our state, if you have a terminal diagnosis and two doctors will sign off on the situation, stating that you have less than 6 months to live, you can get medication so you have a choice to end your own life on your own terms. In my mind this is NOT an act of a coward but of courage. We are all going to pass-on and transition out of our current lives. Dying most consciously in a controlled environment, at a selected time, seems like a good option for some people. Other people have other opinions which are different from mine and they are entitled to their opinions but choices and options are good to consider and can add value to how YOU choose to live, and die.

Most people consider what the “end of life” experience will be like…??? Many people have fear regarding the “unknown” circumstances of transitioning. It is one of the most important experiences we have and full consideration is an important part of the process of living most consciously. What do YOU want to have happen? Do YOU want some measure of control or, at least, consider that you have some control? AND, if you want something to work with as a possible transition, consider reading stories or speaking with people who have had NDE’s (Near Death Experiences, like in “Life After Life” by Raymond Moody or Ken Ring’s work on research with NDE folks. There are many published stories, YouTube videos and recorded audios with people who have had NDE’s.)

More fully, not only consider how you choose to leave this life but are YOU living most fully on your terms? And, if not, why not? It is YOUR Life! These questions and considerations are more important and more difficult than how you want your morning expresso to be made. Yes, I know how important your morning coffee beverage is but these other considerations seem bigger with longer lasting effects. Living and then dying on your own terms is worthy of your time and energy. Look at all your options AND do not always take the most convenient path, the conventional thinking, or what other people want you to do. Your life is YOUR life and YOU are responsible. You must live with your choices and decisions. I have been told that the Dalia Lama is rigorous in practicing being fully conscious at death by using a 7 times daily practice of an exercise to be Present and alert as he transitions from this life. My understanding is that it is a Buddhist’s goal to be conscious and to learn the most possible in end-of-life transitioning. (Also, when interviewed about whether he would like to return again to a human incarnation, his answer was that he hopes he can come back again to continue to be of “service” which is unlike many enlightenment seekers who want to never return to incarnations and spend eternity at some “higher level”…??? Whatever that looks like…)

Most Importantly, LIVE every moment. Find the Joy and the Miracles in every moment you possibly can because you and your life are amazing and full of miraculous experiences. Every moment is precious. If you are working on being most conscious, you can celebrate the learnings which are happening in every second of your current life. This is the “Testing Grounds” for the wisdom you are learning and the Divine Wisdom (and Guidance) you are remembering and bringing into this incarnation. Your Life and Your Living is a Beacon of inspiration for the people you touch in this life. You can be a positive influence just by role-modeling being fully present and your searching for the wisdom and joy which can be found in every life experience. Yes, even in the most difficult of your life’s challenges…

Some people need to be reminded that death is not going a vacation. Though the higher realms are attractive and Divine unconditional love is wonderful to experience, however, the travels of your path through life is the real goal. This is the experience of testing out found wisdom and learning important lessons from life with the limitations of human 3 dimensional existence. The end goal of the final transition is not really what your life is about or your true goal in your current incarnation. (And, you have free will to argue with me about this, if you have read this far.) Your true purpose is to learn, to grow, and serve fellow travelers by sharing love and joy.

YOU are a Blessing. You may have more of a choice than you realize so living in vigilance and less as a victim of circumstance is a great attitude to spend time within. AND, Thank You for Being You!

Life is a Miracle! Seek the Joy in every moment you have…

“The Choice,” Your Choice

You have a choice! Perhaps you have been a victim of a bad situation but YOU have a choice to not live in victimhood! Recently, I was given a copy of the book, “The Choice: Embrace the Possible,” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger. It was painful to read her account of surviving the unspeakable horrors of “living” through her 16th year in Auschwitz in the last year of World War II (1944.) Dr. Eger tells her story of emotionally burying the horrors of her experience for decades until she sought out treatment and support and then to realize she had a “Choice.” She needed to do the work to free herself from her own prison. Her story is remarkable AND not an uncommon dilemma for many of us traumatized by the brutal lessons of our lives.

Why do many of us feel more comfortable remaining in our pain filled life dramas? Sure, it is familiar. Sure, we may think we “deserved” this self-constructed prison because our self-esteem is less than it could be. And, many of us have learned a coping strategy which is successful in dragging other compassionate people into our web of “attention seeking” victimhood as a way to get our emotional needs met. BUT, (a big but) we can choose to not be a victim in our own self-constructed web. We can take some responsibility for how we respond to our life’s traumas.

As I write this blog, Dr. Edith Eger is 90 years of age and has found her way to serve humanity by sharing her story and then sharing her discovery of the choice she has had to make in teaching her lesson from this horrific life experience. This extreme example is supported by her clients working to recover from their life traumas. Each of these stories reflects different discoveries and the advances which she has moved through. No matter what nightmare YOU have experienced, even horrors beyond your control, you have a choice. How YOU respond from the lessons you have survived is up to you. No one else… Her book, for me, was hard to read in her recounting of the holocaust she lived through in the 1940’s. It triggered memories and emotions that could have been avoided but facing her painful memories puts many other life learnings into perspective. Taking personal responsibility is never easy. It is so important if you want to learn and grow most fully. Dr. Eger was opened 25 years after her release from Auschwitz by reading Vikto Frankl’s account of his time in Auschwitz in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning.”

Childhood traumas are reflected in many of the client stories which are shared. These are not an uncommon life experience even in sheltered childhoods. We come into our human lives to live, and then to learn, from the “dramas” and the traumas we experience. I was hit as a child by my father in his frustrations. I learned that I never wanted to hit my sons and perhaps this behavior has been extinguished for our descendants and future generations in our family. The world needs this behavior to be extinguished!

Consider the choices you have in your life, your behaviors, and your responses to the difficult experiences you have found in life. Even PTSD responses can benefit from understanding the possible choices you can have. And, if you are a reader,
“The Choice” is available online or locally. The link to the Amazon advertisement is: at Amazon.com and through many other outlets.

Perhaps consider, YOU have a choice to find Joy in every experience and in the interactions you will experience. Even if these encounters may be difficult or even painful to live through. The lessons which you find may be a main piece of your purpose as you follow your path through this life.
Hang in there….

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Be the Change! You Have a Choice!

Our world is going through upheaval. Conscious people want to get involved. We have our “pet projects” born out personal need for a cause which is “near and dear to our hearts” and there are many ways to respond. Our “special” cause may require funding and we feel great, temporarily, throwing money at a project. Or, we start organizing and donate time, and possibly money, to the cause which lights a fire in our passion. Many of us feel “Guilty” if we are not matching the money or effort we may see in another person’s contribution. So I ask you, Are You Doing Good Work or Donating Money to FEEL GOOD or to Deal With Your Feelings of Guilt?

Perhaps we can back off a bit. Volunteering time and money for a great social cause is admirable. Worthy of admiration. Is this why we do this? AND, forget politics and political action because it is “politics” which has gotten us into this mess… But, YOU have a choice on how you can change the world! Yes, you can be empowered by choosing to take action! YOU can choose to make yourself the Beacon of Light and Love to guide the people you are Blessed to meet into a higher state of consciousness… One person at a Time! You can show respect and love for every person you interact with. Though this may cost you less time and money, it may serve our world at a deeper, foundational level.

This does not mean to stop volunteering or donating. I am asking that you dive below the surface into Divine Consciousness. Superficial actions look great on the surface. You can get recognition. But, is this what you came here to do? If you get your name on a wing of the hospital, does this make you a better person??? Is your legacy driven by an egoic need to be seen or recognized? If so, Great! But…. Sharing your light in every interaction is a CHOICE You can make. “Be the change you wish to see in our world” means living in integrity with the Divine values. No, I am not trying to share guilt or even pretend that “Divine Values” has a Universal, etched in stone, meaning. I am strongly suggesting that living in acceptance, respect, and mutual love may be worth attempting. AND, “fake it until you make it,” is a great place to start.

It begins with awareness. It may include humility. It definitely includes Knowing that YOU are a Miracle AND so is everyone you meet! There is nothing special about you AND you are the most special soul in the Universe. We are all the same and we are all in this together. Work to Save the World but first save yourself. Be conscious! Choose to live in Love! Be sincere and say “Thank You,” to every person you meet. They are there for You and Your lesson!

YOU have a choice! You can live in a “heart space” or you can live with what you “think” is correct. Thinking is great and the drama this creates is very entertaining! This is what we came into this life to explore. The fun and the drama of living in our 3 dimensional limitations and our human lives. AND, enlightenment may include being most conscious regarding living in the moment and choosing to interact with each person in a respectful and spiritual loving/honoring way. You are unique. You are a Blessing! The very best volunteer work you can ever hope to do includes sharing from your heart the love and the respect you have for each struggling soul you bump up against.

We are here to serve! We are here to support the other pilgrims we meet along our path. Donating time and money to a “Cause” you care about is good. But, being a beacon of love and light is more gooder… (I meant that poor vocabulary to be a lighter way to end this posting. YOU are a Miracle! Thank you for being you!)

Thanks for your time and consideration. Your insights and experiences are unique and a blessing, so please share these…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Listening to the “Burning Bush!”

Do you listen to the “Burning Bush?” Yes, you remember the old bible story regarding Moses and the Burning Bush but how many Burning Bushes have you met AND listened to? No, I am not crazy for asking you this question. Maybe a bit weird, but the Burning Bush in your life may have been a bit more subtle than in the story about Moses. God’s angel spoke to Moses and told him to stop what he was doing, head over to the King of Egypt and to tell the Pharaoh to let the Hebrews leave his country. You know the details or can look these up. But, back to you. How many times in your life did that loud or subtle demand pop up for you from somewhere deep within? You know. The one that said, I want to date that special person. Or, I need to go on this vacation or to some place you have never been. Or, I have to get a new job that is more satisfying. Or, I have to move to entirely different part of the country. Wow, I have had all of these pop into my consciousness. I even fell in love twice when I was a young man and neither of those relationships worked out but they were awesome learning experiences.

For me, when I was in my second year at UCLA, my not so subtle Burning Bush told me to drop out of college and go traveling to Europe. I turned 20 in Strasbourg, France, never went back to UCLA, and moved to Northern California to live for the next 35 years. I now know that this was the best experience I required for my life to change in what I consider the most positive of directions. YOU have jumped on feelings (even odd requests) and followed through. Sometimes it works well and you are happy. Sometimes it does not work well and it was a difficult, even a painful, challenge. If you take responsibility for your life, no matter what happened or how challenging, it was an awesome learning experience. Yes, you may have learned what never to do again, but…

The Burning Bush speaks to you and sometimes you listen and sometimes you ignore the request. You have choice! You sometimes follow the road less travelled and it takes you to the very special experience you were “meant” to have. The Burning Bush is often found when you come to the “fork in the road” of your life and you know you must choose a direction to follow. Change is scary and very important for the development of you as a person. If you do not “test” yourself, you may end up with the “What if???” regrets. What if you had dated so and so? What if you had taken that job? What if you had followed your “passion” instead of what people around you thought was a sensible life plan?

If you have ever been a teenager perhaps filled with teenage angst because you are on the verge of independence and you know you must spread your wings and fly, your Burning Bush was often wild and hopeful. You had freedom to make all the mistakes you needed to so you could grow and stretch yourself as a new person. Wow, you made mistakes. These were probably not lethal because you are reading this blog. Somethings worked out well and were treasured adventures. Some of your choices have given you scars which you may still be carrying with you. All of these have helped to form you into the amazing and unique person you are today. Thanks for listening to the suggestions offered to you by your “gut,” your “guides,” or by your version of the Burning Bush!

Your Burning Bush has guided you through pain and through the attractions of relationships and your creative endeavors. It spoke to you in cravings and has pulled you into experiences you needed to know, so you could grow and stretch in ways you might not have chosen. The safe and comfortable couch you rested upon with its addicting peace and dependability needed to be pushed aside so you could step into the world. I am sure that Moses did not want to go to confront the Pharaoh but his dramatic story is far from unique in history and, in your life. Thanks for having the fortitude to grow and to change.

BTW, the “Burning Bush” which may seem like guidance coming from an external source, is actually coming to you from that part of you connected to the Divine Source.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Born A New!

Everyday you awaken from your sleep state, you are “re born” and you are able to bless your day and start fresh. You have a choice to live differently with every new day. (At least, you have a choice to have a different, perhaps more positive, attitude toward your life.) Perhaps today (or tomorrow) you are born into less judgement of yourself and others. Or, perhaps you are born to live in love and be of service. You are free to know “Joy” and carry less fear and old baggage around with you. You are born again to be the “awakened” and most fully conscious soul which dwells within your core.

You can continue to wear your costume of torment. YOU can choose your familiar attitudes and lifestyle. It may seem safe and familiar even though you are not filled with joy. Or, you can try on a new way of being in this world. You have a “CHOICE.” Sure, the other people in your life have grown comfortable with the “old you” and may be uncomfortable if you choose to live in love and joy. This may not reflect well on their sorry self-judging lives but YOU have a choice!

Wake up in the morning and meditate FIRST! Consider how much love you can offer and how much acceptance you can find for the struggling or damaged people you bump into. We are all born into the lessons we have chosen to be challenged by and to learn from. Wake up and know that the Beginners Mind of Wonderment is a choice as a filter to view your world.

You may even want to remind yourself of this freedom to awaken in a new consciousness everyday as you repeat to yourself, “Today, I am born new!”

You are only responsible for how you react to each experience. Remember that as you choose a positive, more conscious, way of living, you not only help yourself, you help all the Divine Consciousness. By raising your vibration, you raise all vibrations. Be the beacon of love and light to shine as a model for others who are consciously or unconsciously on their path… You are a blessing! Do not miss any opportunity to share love.

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master! Your wisdom from your life experience can have great value to other pilgrims on the path toward awakening and enlightenment.

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Connecting to Your Guidance

How many times has Guidance connected you with the direction you were “supposed” to take? When you came to the fork in the road and needed to make a choice, did you ever chose the “road less traveled?” Against judgement and external pressure, did you ever “Know” which direction you needed to go? Sure, you have been there. Your first relationship or knowing you needed to change your job. Maybe it was the vacation destination that attracted you and provided an adventure in life you will never forget. These “feelings” that led you to act did not always lead you to the easy path, or the path of success, but they led you where “YOU Needed to GO.” Your lesson, your adventure, your humbling challenge were the experiences that made you who you are. Some joyous and some brutal but you “GOT” what you needed to get!

You listened to Guidance. You acted on Guidance. And, if you asked the people around you, their suggested direction would have been to take the “safer,” or “easier,” or “more appropriate” path than to take a “different” turn, but you chose the adventure and you must take responsibility for your decision. By the way, if you never took the “road less traveled” you are probably NOT reading this blog and think wet cardboard is fascinating. Hey, YOU are here to live. Taking a path to the “edge” and jumping off into the unknown makes life interesting, challenging, and worth living!

How did the small voice of Guidance get your attention? With all the social pressure and expectations, how did you not only hear the small voice but follow its direction? As an example, I dropped out of UCLA at 19 years of age. I turned 20 years old traveling in Europe. It was the clean break from living in Southern California I needed to start “MY LIFE” and Guidance was supported by my anger/frustration and my oppositional nature. It was PERFECT! I could not have seen the things I saw or met the people I met, or most importantly got the perspective on my first 19 years that I needed to acquire to make the changes to my life that grew out of that travel experience. Five years later, my father mentioned how proud he was that I had “had the guts” to take that trip. A trip he would never had the “guts” to make. I did not do this to impress him. I did this because my over whelming “gut feeling” guided, AND then Protected, me so I could learn the lessons I needed to learn. Your life has been filled with these “Choices” which Guidance helped provide and then helped you to chose the path.

For me, Guidance does not sit around and just watch. I have been invited to play. I have learned to trust it even if I do not always understand why I am doing what I am doing. Four years ago, I would never have thought about starting Masters of the Journey, writing spiritual blogs, or leading spiritual discussions. Am I old and crazy or have I found a New Purpose which is so compelling that I get to wake every morning excited and full of energy to work on this project? I may never know why and it is not important to understand. It is important to serve by doing! It has been a wonderful blessing for me to follow Guidance into this new lifestyle!

Guidance has lead me to this project of writing spiritual blogs just as it has led you to read this spiritual blog. It wants me to do interviews with people who are willing to share their amazing stories regarding guidance taking them down paths to the most interesting of lessons. In future blogs and articles we will discuss how to better connect with Guidance and then follow your path to the spiritual awakening you are meant to have…

What is YOUR Gut telling you now about this information? For some, you will jump in. For some, it is too scary and fear will ask you to be comfortable and back away. Either way, you now have to do this with a conscious choice and find your path down one path or another. Travel safely. Keep your head up so you can see the horizon and do not miss the splendid details along your way. This is what your life is all about…

If you are READY and looking for a supportive community where you can share your story, your wisdom, and grow spiritually in a non-religious environment, consider Masters of the Journey.
You are a Blessing! You are a Master!

The Masters of the Journey has events which are updated on our Facebook page which is found at: www.facebook.com/mastersofthejourney Please comment on this blog and share, if appropriate. More of our blogs are based on spiritual consciousness and can be found at www.dstress.com/blog

Living Outside the Box!

Are you happy with the way your life is playing out? Have you found your purpose in this life and are you engaging in working your purpose everyday? Are you questioning whether you have found yourself living a life which could be different and perhaps more rewarding? Are you in a box with your job, your finances, your relationships, and possibly with your life’s purpose?

To be honest, most of us would have to agree that life sometimes, or maybe more often than sometimes, feels like it is going sideways. Just to complicate this discussion, consider this statement, some people define “Crazy” as repeating the same thing (Behavior) over and over again and expecting different results. (Occasionally, you may use a repeated behavior and get a different response because the environment or people involved will allow for a slightly different reaction.) Remember, if you do not like the response you get to a certain behavior then you need to take responsibility and try something different to get a more satisfying response. YOU have a choice! And, it starts by knowing that YOU are responsible and then, to break patterns where you are blaming other people or institutions for the less than desirable reaction. Yes, try an entirely new approach.

Why are you resisting change and a new approach? We do not try new behaviors because we are AFRAID. Yes, we have FEAR of new approaches because we lack confidence and do not know how these will turn out. We prefer to have reliable failure, which is comfortable and which we are familiar with, rather than move toward a more positive, yet unknown, outcome. We even have surrounded ourselves with family and friends who like us the way we are and would have difficulty supporting us if we were more successful and confident. They like the “Old” and familiar person you have been trapped within. Maybe, it is time to find new friends who love and support you on your path to becoming ever more successful and joyful.

At the end of your life, are you going to feel good about what you have accomplished and the people you have assisted? Will you weigh your legacy by how much money or how many “toys,” you have? Can you ask yourself, and honestly answer, that you have lived a full life filled with the service which has helped move consciousness forward?

It is time to take the small steps to find a better more adventurous and rewarding life. It may even be time to take the big steps toward your new life of personal responsibility and positive change. Personally, I have learned more from my failed attempts at changing my life and from confronting the challenges of trying new behaviors that lead me down an unhappy path. Take a risk. Get positive support. Break out of the confined box that has been a comfortable but unhappy experience. You will never know until you try, how good it feels to make that stretch in your life. Enjoy the adventure! No one else can do this for you, so do not wait.

The Masters of the Journey community may help to provide some support if your quest includes spiritual development (in a non-religious way.)