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Up
until my second divorce, I had
lived my life unconsciously –
just like many others. But the end
of my marriage was a time when there were many
questions and few answers. One
question lingers in my memory to
this day.
My husband
and I lived what many would
consider a great life. We were
both working pretty good jobs, we
had a beautiful house on a lake,
we had good health and two lovely
children. But...
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I
was walking down the hall
and I remember thinking, Is
this all there is? There
has to be something more! |
I
could see no possibility of any significant change in my life
which, at that time, seemed to
consist of getting up, going to
work, caring for my family,
shopping, and the occasional
social outing. My life stretched
before me as more and more of the
‘same’. It felt mildly
disconcerting to think this would
be my ‘fate’ for the rest of
my life.
It was a fleeting thought that I
promptly forgot until a few years
later.
I
firmly believe that thought
changed my life. It was a message
to the Universe that I was ready
for change, because not long
afterwards, my husband told me he
wanted a divorce! We’d had our
ups and downs like most couples,
but his request was totally
unexpected. In fact, I could
hardly believe what I was hearing!
This
is a story in itself and maybe
I’ll tell it some other place,
but suffice to say, we separated,
then divorced, and my life began to
change more dramatically than I
could ever have predicted.
My spiritual journey had begun...
in no uncertain terms!
For
ten years years I learned
more and more about myself through meditation,
reading, and surrounding myself
with like-minded individuals. The
following ten years was a time of
assimilating and applying
everything that I learned in the
previous decade. It
was the experience I needed that
led me to make The Decision which
I share in Anyaa's
Story.
One project
early after The Decision
involved helping a friend to write
a book from recordings of her
workshops. I had never considered
writing as an occupation, but the
people involved in the project
seemed to like what I did. So, in
2003 I wrote my own book
Joy
Makers: My Tools for
Self-Empowerment. It was
never a best seller, but people
say nice things about it when they
read it
and it's well received.
The
Birth of the Perseverer
But
through all the ups and downs, the
trials and tribulations, the highs
and the lows, I remained true to
my conviction that I didn't want
to be a conventional employee and,
except for a couple of months
at a video store, I've never
gone back on my promise to myself.
I have persevered through some
tough times, but persevere I did.
That's why I call myself The
Perseverer!
Do
you know how difficult it is to
pursue your dreams when you know
everyone around you thinks you're
nuts? "Go get a job!"
was their silent judgment. They
couldn't understand why I
wouldn't, or couldn't, do that. To
be honest, I have a hard time
explaining it even now, but
something inside me kept me going
and insisted that I never give up.
I just HAD to go on and I knew
that it was just a matter of time
before my efforts paid off.
I’m
well aware that many people
persevere against incredible odds
and I admire them greatly. Many
face physical challenges, or
cultural challenges, or
addictions, or… you name it.
Humans are faced with many, many
trials and we’re all perseverers
in one way or another.
So
I continue living my life the best
way I know how. I continue to read
whatever grabs my interest and
apply what fits with my current
philosophy. Most recently that has
been the writings of Eckhart Tolle
who wrote The Power of Now
and A New Earth. These
books have had an incredible
impact on me - the most I've
experienced for a long time - and
I am so grateful that they were
brought into the world's
consciousness by Oprah.
What
an incredible woman she is. Thank
goodness there are individuals
such as herself who have made it
their mission to bring
enlightenment to as many humans as
possible. Her web series with
Eckhart was a testament to her
commitment and it's my opinion
that she changed the world with
those broadcasts. The information
Eckhart shares about the ego's
role in our life, about the pain
body and how to dissolve it has
been instrumental in helping me
personally and the
planet.
There
is still much to be accomplished
in the years ahead, but
individuals such as Eckhart and
Oprah are making the world a
better place. We are indeed
creating A New Earth.
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