the forces that be

sometimes, it's easier to blame external circurmstances for the perceived woes of our lives. this person said this, that person did that, and so on, so forth. it's hard to see the truth when we're blinded by blame, and until we take full responsibility for our lives, we will never be able to lift ourselves out of the chaos of bad decisions. 

i think of myself as very pragmatic. i try to approach things rationally and intuitively, rather than emotionally. this is why i bask in the difficult moments that occur in my life. i see them as the teachers they are, bidding me to grow. everything that has happened to me thus far has only been to help me see things clearly. 

and even still, sometimes i lose sight of who i am and what i truly want from this life of mine. one thing remains unmistakably clear, i can't do a thing if i'm not taking risks and seeking to grow in the fullest way possible. for me that means reading ceaselessly and taking time to dig deep into my own ideas, beliefs, and doubts. it's about moving past perfectionism and understanding that being human is far more important. 

life is short. shorter than that last sentence. however, the truth of that doesn't become reality until we begin to live so fully that we don't worry about death anymore. because death is the only sure thing, we don't worry about the improbabilities in between. we live. and in living, we find the courage to do and be all that we are meant to become. 

your life is entirely in your hands. 

which reminds me of this beautiful story about a wise, elderly woman and the village children, most of whom she probably helped raise. one bright, sunny day the children decided to test her wisdom. "Ole wise woman, please tell me, this bird behind my back, is he alive or is he dead?", the little boy asked. Now the aged woman suffered from poor eyesight but she simply replied, "Young lad, it's in your hands. For if i tell you he's dead, you'll release him to the heavens to fly away. And if i say he's alive, you'll crush him dead." 

and so beloved, you are the force. 
the force is in you. 
no external force is more powerful.