Letting Go

To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,
it’s the realization I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness,
which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it’s to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but go be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.

To let go is not to be protective, it’s to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anybody,
but to become what I dream I can be.

To let go is to not regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less, and to love more.

Symptoms of Inner Peace

A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather
than from fears based on past experiences.

An unmistaken ability to enjoy each moment.

A loss of interest in judging self.

A loss of interest in judging others.

A loss in interest in conflict.

A loss of interest in interpreting the action of others.

A loss of the ability to worry. (This symptom is very serious.)

Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.

Frequent attacks of smiling through the eyes of the Heart.

Increasing susceptibility to love extended by others
and the uncomfortable urge to extend it.

An increasing tendency to let things happen rather
than make them happen.

If you have all or most of the above symptoms,
please be advised that your condition of PEACE may be so
far advanced as to not be treatable.

Author Unknown

"

LOVING ACCEPTANCE"

The loving acceptance ou so deeply hunger for
can never reach you until you've learned to give
that gift to yourself.

You ARE entitled to live yourself just exactly
as you are right now!

You are ALWAYS doing the best you can in this moment.
If you could do better, you would do better!

Practice being as gentle with yourself as you would be
with anyone else you truly cared about.

Speak kindly and lovingly to yourself as much
of the time as possible.

Listen in to your body and your belly feelings. 
Practice making room and safe space to feel
ALL of your feelings.

When you feel sad, depressed or in grief, take time
and space to fold inward to be with the aching and
the tears until they're done.
(They WILL be done, sometime!)

When you feel scared or anxious, move more slowly,
ask the frightened part what it would need
in order to feel safe.

Go only as fast as the slowest part feels safe to go.

Remember that growth is a process, not an achievement.
When you feel discouraged, take time to lovingly acknowledge
how far you've already come..there is ALWAYS
further yet to go!

Remember, too, that all life moves in cycles...
what has been must often come apart before
what is to be can come together.

When you're tired, rest!
ESPECIALLY when there's "no time to rest."

Remember that rest is a sacred act-as significant,
meaningful, productive and honorable as any other
purposeful act!

When it gets hard. remind yourself that it's okay to be different!

Applaud all the baby steps along the way of your journey.
Acknowledge the wonder of your persistence in the difficult times.
Marvel at the miracle of your courage and your
trust-in-the-process.
Delight in Yourself at every possible opportunity:
You are a Magnificent Work-in-Prigress!

Author Unknown

Footprints In The Sand
Author Unknown

One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;
one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
 he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
 He noticed that many times along the path of his life
there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened
 at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
"Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You,
You would walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the troublesome times of my life,
there is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why when I needed You most
You would leave me.

The Lord replied, "My son, My precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
 During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
 it was then that I carried you.

The New Footprints
Author Unknown

Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus
 are walking along the beach together.
For much of the way the Lord's footprints go along steadily,
consistently, rarely varying in the pace. 
But your prints are in a disorganized
 stream of zig zags, starts, stops,
turnarounds, circles, departures, and returns.
For much of the way it seems to go like this.

But gradually, your footprints come in line with the Lord's;
soon paralleling His consistently. 
You and Jesus are walking as true friends.
This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens;
your footprints that once etched the sand
next to the Master's are now
walking precisely in His steps.

Inside His large footprints is
the smaller "sandprint," safely enclosed.
You and Jesus are becoming one;
this goes on for many miles.
But gradually you notice another change. 
The footprints inside
the larger footprints seem to grow larger.
Eventually it disappears altogether.
There is only one set of footprints.
They have become one;
again this goes on for a long time.

But then something awful happens.
The second set of footprints is back.
This time it seems even worse than before. 
Zig zags all over the place.
Stop... start....  Deep gashes in the sand.
A veritable mess of prints.
You're amazed and shocked. 
But this is the end of your dream.

Now you speak, "Lord,
I understand the first scene with the zig zags,
fits, starts, and so on.
I was a new Christian, just learning. 
But You walked on through the storm
 and helped me learn to walk with You."

"That is correct," replied the Lord.

"Then, when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours,
I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. 
I followed You very closely."

"Very good. 
 You have understood everything so far."

Then the smaller footprints grew
 and eventually filled in with Yours.
I suppose that I was actually growing
so much that I was becoming
more like You in every way."

"Precisely."

"But this is my question, Lord. 
Was there a regression of something?
The footprints went back to two,
and this time it was worse than the first."

The Lord smiles, then laughs. 
 "You didn't know?"  He says.
"That was when we danced."