This Moment Now

Rainbow August 2011

In these difficult days throughout our world and our country, there are many seeking answers to life's problems.  Whether it is health, unlimited abundance or assistance in the direction to take, many feel lost, hopeless and full of despair.

While we can turn to others and various organizations for the truth we seek, we often find that we get nowhere.  So many of these places mean well and have great intentions, but they get lost in themselves and as a result, they cause their followers to wander aimlessly.

It is sad to watch people fall prey to these places, sometimes spending hundreds and thousands of hard earned dollars, only to be let down once again in life.  Of course, the people that fall prey to these places, also have a responsibility to think with eyes wide open, rather than closed.

Trudging And Soaring In Life

Sometimes, there are times in life that I feel I'm soaring through the sky in beauty, awe and above every problem the world has presented.

There are times in life that I feel like I'm trudging through the mud holes of a swamp, embroiled in quicksand as I attempt to pick my foot up and place it in front of me.

Of course, there are also times in life where I feel like a ping pong ball bouncing from the great times to the not so great times.

It is easy in life to question what our moment is all about when we are facing the more difficult times and sometimes just as easy to forget this when we are soaring through the sky. Yet, life is a mixture of these parts.

Life is about soaring and trudging because together we are able to grow and rest. We rest so that we can grow and we grow so that we see the difference in our life.

Too often, we think of the tough times as being something awful, but the funny thing is that when we go through those times in life, we emerge a different person on the other side. We all of the sudden have those ah ha moments where we see things differently.

Once we see things differently, than we realize that there is much more to our life and our path. We understand more clearly that life is a combination of all things, not a sentence of difficulties.

When we embrace that which we struggle with, it is then that we have become aware of that which we know deep inside of our mind, body and soul.


Further Reading:
1) It's Ok If They Struggle (blog post 8/24/10)
2) Your Choice To Awareness (blog post 3/12/10)



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Blog Post & Images (c) 6/21/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

If any part of this post is used or shared, a link back to this site is required.
http://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
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Supermoon, Oceans and Nature

Most likely everyone has heard about the supermoon which is ocuring this evening as I write this blog post. The supermoon is the moon that looks like it is much closer because it is actually traveling as close as it will get to the earth in its orbit for the next 18 years. Since it is also a full moon, it is expected to raise the tides all over the earth. Some say, it will have a significant impact upon the earth and while I have no way to agree or disagree with that, it will be interesting to see if there are any events that coincide with the supermoon. Many would just attribute this to folklore.

I'm always amazed at the systems in space and how they may or may not impact us as humans. Just to gaze at something that is only about 221,566 miles seems awe inspiring to me. I would love to be able to go and travel to the moon and actually step a foot on to it. If there is ever a wow factor in life, the moon and the planets or stars of the solar system would be one of those for me.

Coming back to earth though, I spent time at the ocean today just picking up seashells while dipping my feet in the 60 degree, cool ocean water. Seeing the ocean, hearing the roar of the waves, watching the sea gulls fly and being caught up in the moment of looking for seashells, the world around me seemed pretty small. Much like looking at the moon so many miles away, the earth seemed almost insignificant.

As we ended the day at the ocean, we spent time observing the birds and butterflies all around us. It was a beautiful site and once again, took me miles away from the world and all its troubles and problems.

There is no greater joy, no greater meditation and no better way to just be in the moment than to gaze at the sky, bask in the ocean and observe nature. If you want to let go of things that are bothering you, find your place in nature. Let nature revive you, ground you and help you find what it is that you need in this very moment.

Nature and the ocean and the moon are much bigger than anything we are experiencing. They remind us that we can transcend all that we are going through, if even for a moment. They remind us that we are part of something bigger and that we are all connected.




Blog Post & Images (c) 3/19/11 Don Shetterly - use by permission only
http://www.donshetterly.com

Walk Through Open Doors

Walk through doors that are open and learn from the ones that are closed. I keep being confronted with this concept over and over in my current life. It just fits for me and the reminders show up in many places. I ponder what it means to walk through open doors.

Really, the open doors do not bother me because it seems so simple to walk through them. Of course, there are fears of what may be waiting beyond the door frame. It is an unknown that can only be experienced as one decides to walk through. There is no way to understand what may be found as you step through. In many ways, the open door may be inviting but frightening at the same time.

Closed doors seem much more difficult at this point in my life. In many ways I do not understand why some doors appear to close. I find myself wanting to go up and force the door open because it bugs me to no end that it is closed. It provides a barrier that I am not allowed to walk through. I feel enclosed and confined.

In many ways, I view the closed door as something which was once given permission to me but now has been taken away. I feel deprived, restricted and antagonized by the closed door. In my mind, I wonder what I did wrong to cause the door to close. How did I fail in my life to cause this to happen? I am perplexed and haunted by these thoughts. My thoughts persecute me over and over through out my day.

While I desire to just forget the closed doors, my heart feels sadness for the longing of these doors. Sometimes I wish that these doors would not have been known to me because the pain would be less. However, I know that without these doors being a part of my life, there would be much I would have missed.

Yet, if I solely focus on the closed doors in my life, I will be robbing myself of the joys which are all around me. I will be missing opportunities because my focus will be on the illusion instead of the reality.

The doors that open before me are there to draw me further into life. How can I search and seek what I need in my life while I exist with my eyes closed? How can I walk towards open doors only to get to the door and instead of walking through, I turn around and focus on the closed door behind me?

I know that life is about taking steps forward. Sometimes it is difficult to do this because of the unknown. The closed doors are there for a reason that may not be in clear view at this moment. It is okay to mourn for the loss of the closed door but I remind myself that this gave me the opportunity to reach the next open door of my life.

The closed doors will always be there and they will be a significant part of my life. Closed doors in many ways mean that I am taking steps into deeper awareness of my life. May I rejoice and celebrate the closed doors as I discover what is beyond the next open door.

(Above Picture (c) 5/06/99)

Events Of The Moment

May I be reminded today that I am wrapped in arms of love. Supported by friends, I am truly not alone. The events of the moment taking place in my life are nothing more than what is happening at this point in time. Allowing these events to play out and accepting whatever they have to offer is most important. I realize that I do not need to be controlled or manipulated by what is taking place. There is no reason I need to be stuck and lost in these events. For, I remind myself that I create my day and if I do not desire what I currently am creating, I have the option to change my thoughts.

Look For Change

Sometimes the slightest change we make in our life can open the doors to a new experience. We all wonder at times in our life how we get from point A to point B. It may seem overwhelming and we may say it is too much.

Through confusion and fear, we hunker down in the despair of the moment. Our day looks dark and we are convinced there is no end in sight. Surely this is not what life is about we tell ourselves. Yet, we fail to see just that one small change or one more step may completely show us a different view.

Have you ever been walking along a trail in the woods? As you take step after step, you may see the terrain change. The view may go from a covered one to something that gives your eyes a totally different lookout point. And all it takes is that one step into the next step, changing where you are on your path.

What about how the view changes as the sun rises in the day. It often changes by the minute. Shadows that were once at a point which cast a certain shape are gone in the next. The thing that changed was going from one minute to the next minute. Each minute went by without notice but together they bought about change from the morning sunrise.

Even when things seem so confusing in life that it doesn't appear there is a way forward, look for a slight change. What is possible and real that you could change in this moment? It doesn't have to be big or great, just one simple change. Maybe it could be as simple as thinking a new thought, repeating a small phrase or allowing your body to feel something new. It could be that for the first time you allow your body to connect with an emotion that you often avoid. It could be deciding that you are going to follow your heart and intuition even if the path ahead was unclear.

As I have said many times before, we all have much more power than we realize. Yes, sometimes life beats us down and convinces us otherwise. We can and we do choose how we think about things for our day. While there are times that we need to find our way through the forest, we don't have to remain there. We will find our way to the other side of the woods.

It all boils down to allowing ourselves the moment to be in life where we need to be. When we do this, we connect with our minds and our bodies to all that is possible for our lives. Being in the moment will lead us to that simple change we long for in life. We need not stress about finding it, as all we need for our lives is located within us.

May we learn to allow that which we seek to come into our life. May we notice it when it shows up. Let us find the courage and strength to be patient for its arrival. At that moment, we will realize that one simple change gave the spark we needed to find what we were looking for in life.

(Above Picture taken by Don Shetterly: Morning Sunrise in the Yard - (c) 08/21/10)



*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

It's Ok If They Struggle

It's OK to sit with pain! It's OK to be in a space that seems dark, gloomy and full of despair. It's OK to be in a place of struggle, not quite knowing where the road leads. It is OK to be in that place where life seems to be smacking you around with no end in sight.

Unfortunately, for people watching someone experience these things, it is not OK. Others so badly want to deliver us from the pain and suffering. They feel it is necessary and their responsibility to do this. They struggle with difficulty to see when a person is in these moments. To them, it is not OK to see people suffer, be in pain and observe someone fighting to find their way.

Yet, just as good times are a part of life, so are the difficult times. Struggle and success are the same things, just opposites on a spectrum. Making it in life denotes that one came through the struggle. Without the struggle, they would most likely not have reached the moment they are at. It is almost like you cannot experience one without the other. Both are expected in order to fully grasp that which is good.

So often, people who care for and love others, struggle to watch another person experience what appears to be the low, difficult moments in life. These may be painful moments or times when life's problems and difficulties appear to be winning. Yet, if the individual did not experience the full range of their own life's experiences, would they truly grow in the way the needed to? Would the lesson that life was trying to offer them be taken away if they missed these true moments of stumbling? I would suggest that we need these moments because they are critical to our life. They may very likely be laying the foundation for future lessons. Without these experiences, we may not be prepared for what lies ahead.

In my own life, I was paralyzed and suffered through deep despair, depression and anxiety. I struggled to not only hold on in life but to even determine there was a path ahead for me. Yet, these moments of struggle prepared me for the road ahead. They gave me courage and strength to go into my own life's horrors. Without them, the healing that needed to happen would have been too difficult and great for me to experience.

Just like all of life is a dance, if we miss the pain, we would miss the dance. We cannot have one without the other. To wish that a person would not experience these things is to deprive them of all of their life's experiences. It is as much a part of who someone is and if we in any way hold a person back in feeling or experiencing these moments, then are we truly helping that person?

Yes, I know how hard it is to watch others deal with rough times. To see someone in pain, or dying or just struggling makes us want to ease their life through our compassionate eyes. We that love others, desire to see others in their true potential. We want them to experience the fullness of life as we see it.

Often though, our own fears, insecurities and lessons we must learn in life get in the way. Looking through our own filters, we see just one aspect of how someone's life should be. However, we may be unable to see more than that. Our fears should not dictate our interactions with others. Our fears, although well intentioned, may be holding someone back from experiencing and learning major truths for their lives.

Holding the space open means to be there with the person just as they are and having no expectations, judgments or desires. It is being there in that moment, offering yourself in a way that lets them know they can experience and travel these difficult moments to completion. It is being there for them in that moment, not concerned with how long or how difficult their struggle may be. It is clearing our own fears and insecurities in order to be fully present with them at that moment. Truly, it is a connection that goes beyond our own human understanding.

May we realize just how critical it is to be there with the person in these moments. May we realize that we may be standing at the edge of possibility and hope with them. For us to do anything less would be making ourselves and others, less than human. It is our connections that offer the greatest of love and the hope of possibility.


*Read other articles on Mind Body Thoughts Blog

The Sun Will Rise Again

No matter what happens today and no matter how bad today looks, the sun will rise again tomorrow. Even when the skies are the darkest, and the winds are the stormiest, the sun will rise again.

For the sun is the constant. it is always there. If we can only focus on one hope in this moment, let us remember the sun will rise again tomorrow.

So, too, in our life, no matter what happens, we will get through our current situation. The beauty of the sunrise that we cannot currently see, will become evident as the hours progress. Let us not forget to keep our eyes open so we will not miss one single moment.

We've Got So Much

Sometimes in life, we look around and complain about many things. We wish this was different or that was different. Sometimes we subscribe to different schools of thoughts and we know that if we just keep believing, things will somehow change for the better.

The only thing is that while doing this, we often fail to see what is so good about our lives in the current moment we are living in. We've already got much more than we sometimes see. We've already accomplished so much of what we are wishing for. We have already changed so much of what we wish to change.

Yet, we are too busy looking for the golden rainbow to notice that the rain and thunderstorms in our life are actually offering to us what we long for. Sure, we may have to dodge the lightening bolts and the hail and find shelter from the drenching downpours of rain, but just as we celebrate a sunny day, so should we celebrate the rainy season.

Spend time today, observing in your life just all that has come into your life. Recognize what is already there, and what has shown up. Know that life is about seeing what is before us instead of squinting into the horizon to guess at what is out there.

Never Gave Up

Here is a story of someone who has faced so much in his life, yet he did not let it stop him one bit. I am inspired by seeing this small portion of his story. When we get down or are faced with things in life that just seem to tough to get beyond, all we have to do is look at someone less fortunate to put things in perspective.

Life can be difficult but there is always an option, a window, a way forward. I've been there in some very deep dark moments and when the fears get high, the options look dim, I can tell you unequivocally that there is something better waiting beyond all you are experiencing. There are many cliches that one could state here but they don't mean as much as knowing that you're not alone and there are others who have made it through.

The Will To Survive

There are many people in this world that have been through extraordinary circumstances and some that are almost too difficult to believe that one can endure as much as they can. Yet, even in the midst of many things that people have had to struggle against, most find a way to make it through what they have encountered.

I'm sure most of them would say that the trying times were difficult beyond belief and at the time they didn't feel as if they could make it. However, in some way, manner or fashion, these people made it. They survived. They had the will to survive.

Today, I'm probably writing this for myself as much as for anyone. My life is no stranger to adversity and situations that an average person could fathom let alone experience. Some people cannot even begin comprehending some of the things that I have been through and to be honest, my mind sometimes has as much difficulty understanding all of it as well.

I think back to my early days on this planet where I was subjected to all kinds of conditions that a child should not have to endure. During those times, I learned how to numb out, to escape and not be present. It was my way of surviving events that were just too great for anyone, let alone a child.

Then I'm taken to the point where I became paralyzed and realizing that from one day to the next, we just never know what can happen. I found out then that life can change in a dramatic way giving us challenges which we were not prepared to face. And through those moments, the strength and courage come to help lift us slowly from this time and place. It is not without its trials, tribulations and weariness that one has to find the will to survive.

I'm reminded of the times that the will to survive included the need to not commit suicide. Even though I tried many times, I was never successful and it was in those worst of moments that somehow, something inside of me kept me going. While many may credit it to a religious figure or what not, I learned that whatever it was that kept me going was deep within me. It was that faintest of faint moments where my life said, "no - it is not your time - you must keep going". It was in those moments where the will to survive met the horrible evil secrets my life was holding. That meeting of two opposites, created the spark that ignited enough sustenance to continue.

Even now as I continue my own healing and I go deeper into the process, I find that time and time again, I come up against some of the worst moments of evil I have fought so hard to forget. I could continue to try and play and hide and seek with them but I know that sooner or later they will find me out. It would seem to be the easier way to deal with them and may feel like it but in the end, it comes down to how far I'm willing to allow myself to travel through my own journey. And believe me, there are many days when I say, this is to much - this is more than any person should have to deal with.

Sometimes I have no clue where the will to survive comes from or how I even find the spark to ignite it. Sometimes, it seems like there is absolutely no hope, no way forward, or no idea to begin the way forward into hope. Sometimes, all that seems to appear is a void of blackness with a lifetime sentence of futility.

It is in these times, when I realize that I may need to crawl back into my bunker and plot the next course of action. It is in these times, when maybe all I can do is look down at my feet and see they are still planted on the path of my life's journey. It is in these times, that just making it through the day is accomplishing as much as building the world's tallest mountain range.

I've even witness the will to survive in many animals I cared for on farms that I managed. If the animals still had the fight left in them and I mean the fight of wanting to stand up or just drink water and eat some food, then they had a chance. The animals that did not have this fight seldom made it. The fight was half the battle and the rest of the battle was their body healing and mending itself.

So if you're facing the dark doom filled glare of the void of darkness in your own life, know that this too shall pass and that you can make it through this. Allow yourself to stop and crawl back into your bunker while you plot the next course of action. Or if that is too much to do, allow yourself to look down and see that your feet are firmly planted on the ground below you. Give yourself the moment to be there without any expectations of what to do next. Give yourself, the option to do this.

I'm not here to tell you that all of life will be easy or these difficult moments will be a piece of cake. I'm not here to tell you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps or chin up because I know it is much more difficult than that. Most likely it is a difficult time and the despair is knocking on your door. However, just know that this too shall pass and you can make it through it. Remember, the fight is half the battle and as long as you kick, scream, yell and push or whatever it is that you do - you will find your way through it.

And if you think you can't find your way through it and there seems to be no open doors, just closed ones - than look for a window!
*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Not A Life Sentence

It is part of our journey not a life sentence!

How many times do we go through life struggling and feeling like we're never going to get "there"? Of course, I'm not sure if I have figured out and understood where "there" is at but we all try to aim towards it. Sometimes "there" seems to be like a moving target. When we are in the midst of the struggle, it seems like there is no end.

Yet, I'm reminded again (I think this makes like reminder one million and some)that all the difficulties and struggles I face, they are just part of my journey. As long as I don't stop for good on my journey, I will get through them. It is ok to pause and rest awhile, but as I know, we must keep moving along our journey.

Even when we feel like there is not one single person that is there for us or wants to be around us and we feel so all alone, we can take solace in knowing that this is not a life sentence but it just part of the journey.

I'm not saying it will be easy or quick or magically it will get better at the push of a button but things do improve. Sometimes you have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death to get to the beauty that lies beyond it. Sometimes you have to walk through this without people that fully understand what the valley looks like.

In all things though, realize just like I am that this is part of the journey, not a life sentence.

Note From The Universe - The Finish Line

The trick is learning to maintain an unwavering focus upon your desired end result, your completed dream, the "finish line," without insisting upon, or even contemplating, its means of attainment, no matter how logical, obvious, or tempting it may seem. - - The Universe

Source: Daily Emails - A Note From The Universe


My comments:
I love this daily email quote, especially this particular one. Sometimes, when I look ahead at my life and see the things that I dream to accomplish, I try to fill in all the details. It is as if I want to know everything and anything that will take place as I move to my dreams. However, I realize that I'm robbing myself of the experience if my only focus on the means of attainment rather than the dream itself. Why should I have to worry about the details? They will unfold as they will.

The Hope Of Possibility

Have you ever looked at your day and your life and said "that's not possible", "there's no way, I can ever do that"? If you haven't, I would be surprised as I think this is a pretty common thing for most humans to face at some point or another in their life.

Yet, throughout the history of the world, we've seen ordinary people do extraordinary things and accomplish tasks that were nothing short of impossible at the time. There are so many examples of this.

So, if we view something as impossible, how do we go from impossible to possible?

We might conclude that one would need to believe that what we want to do is possible and that having the right mindset is the key to beginning the journey. However, I know there have been many times in my life that I could not see the possibility of something to get myself started. In those times, I relied on hope that there was a hope of possibility to get where I was going and that's about all I could muster the strength up to do. Even in these moments, this was almost too difficult to do.

So what if we took a moment to acknowledge something in our life that we view as impossible today and maybe hold for just a moment that there is a hope that it may be possible. Just holding that thought in our mind gives us a different energy and potential than viewing something as impossible. Whether, what lies before us can be accomplished, we will only find out as we travel the journey that lies before us.

We don't know have to know all the answers in that moment or be able to see things with vivid clarity. All we have to do is offer ourselves that the hope of possibility exists and allow our journey to unfold before us. That's it! That's all! Yes, we may have our doubts and we may have our pains, inflictions and boulders standing in our way but those don't concern us at this moment. The only thing we need to stay focused on is that the hope of possibility exists within us. The rest will find its way.

So my challenge to you today is to not just accept what I'm saying as gospel truth but to test it within yourself. See if this works or if it doesn't. Test it. Try it and challenge it. Find that part within your mind that says, this is not possible and then replace it with I have hope that it is possible. Let the rest unfold as it will on its own and in its own time. There is no need to control or manipulate the events but to just allow them to happen.

I celebrate the hope of possibility to each person that reads this.

Note From The Universe - You Will Know

If you think on it long enough, you'll know.
You just will.
Works for me,
The Universe

Source: Daily Emails - A Note From The Universe

Broken Windows Or Openings

When I saw the picture that Marilyn Mott Brown posted on her Facebook page, I could not help but ask for permission to post her picture and write about it. (note: this picture is being used on my blog page per Marilyn's permission).

For most of us, if we had to write a paragraph about this picture and how it relates to our life, I'm sure each one of us would write something different. So let's do a quick exercise. Before you continue reading, why not write a paragraph about what this images means to you in your current life. And then when you do that, take a look at it and read what you wrote from an Observer's mindset. Now compare the two thoughts and contrast them. You might be amazed at the insights you receive from doing this and whatever you write is your truth. It is what you need to probably hear for your own life in this moment. It could be the next epic adventure in your own story book and be a life changing event or it might lead you to the next morsel of information that will help you move in the direction you need to go.

So before I share what it means to me, make sure you write your paragraph first and then come back and read what this means to me. Ok, are you writing? No cheating now. Write yours first.

Ok, if you did as directed and wrote something, please feel free to comment and share what you wrote. I'd feel honored as well as all my readers would to see the various insights. Who knows what I may learn as well from what you write. And what you wrote is just as valid as what I wrote. Please don't compare mine to yours. Each of our writings stands on its own.

So here's what I wrote: ..

The minute I saw this image, I thought - wow - what a story for how life sometimes looks. An old rustic shed with wood that shows every grain and fiber. It has weathered the storms of life and appears that even through the years, it may be leaning a little but it is still standing. The door is slightly ajar and may all most be off its hinges from the winds of time and the many times it has been opened. The tools and belongings just inside the windows are varied and act as if they were placed in that particular order for whatever reason which remains a mystery to the viewer of this picture. Two of the four opposing window pains have been knocked out as if the window was meant to be that way. The way Marilyn took this photo, it leaves so much of the image as a mystery. There is no way to know for sure exactly what is around the narrow view of the picture unless you were standing there. This gives possibility of so much more than what the picture shows.

And as I think about all of this, isn't this a good representation of life. We sometimes see all our faults just like an old shed barely standing there with the door hanging open and the windows broken out. Yet, we often fail to realize that we're still standing strong despite the winds and storms of time. We have the tools and responsibilities and pieces of our life organized in a way that works for us in that moment even if we have some broken out windows. And as we look through the broken out window panes, we stare in to the darkness of the shed, wondering what is in there and what we have not become aware of in our lives. It reminds us of how much we have not yet discovered. The narrow view of the pictures shows to me, that there is so much more about us than we can currently see and if the photographer moved just an inch it would reveal so much more. In many ways, that is how our own lives come to be, because if we saw everything in this moment, it would take away the excitement and possibility of what lies ahead. In addition, to see to much too quickly, it may overwhelm us as we would not be able to take it all in and understand it.

So for me, this picture says, look at the entire picture and see the beauty. Don't be concerned with each detail of fault that you can see but know that this shed has stood the test of time and through the open windows of my life, may I be reminded to look further into my life and discover all that there is. It is not about what I can currently see but how I can see this image in the context of my complete life.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must -- but don't you quit.


Life is queer with it's twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up, though the pace seems slow -
You might succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
it seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor's cup.
And he learned too late, when the
night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt --
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

(this came from a poster I had hanging on my wall for years, no author was listed)

Battered but Standing

Some days when we get battered by the storms of life, it can become very rough. We wonder at the time if our lives can withstand the storm that is hurling its furry upon us. We wonder if we can be strong enough to survive another round and to keep on moving forward with each step. And yet we know, after all we've been through in our lives, all we have to do is look back over our shoulder and see just how far we've come. We can take comfort knowing that we have moved forward and that what we currently see in our path is not where we will be tomorrow.

So as we realize just how many steps we've taken and just how far we have come, let us also remind ourselves that there is no need to worry about the road ahead. For we are able to overcome the obstacles of growth in our path. They will make us stronger, more aware, more conscious and mold us into humans that have the ability to keep walking in the face of future storms.