May you always overcome evil with Good in your thoughts. Never lose faith; God’s way will prevail.
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson
about a battle that goes on inside people.
He said, “My son, the battle is
between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.
One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, doubt, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity,
forgiveness, truth, compassion, and faith.
The grandson thought about it for a minute and
then asked his grandfather; “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
This old legend, of unknown origin, aligns with my thinking very much.
It brings me to this idea of ‘Choice.’
Some examples coming to mind at the moment are:
Choosing:
Good over Evil
Love over Hate
Glass half full over Glass half empty
Hope over Fear
Action over Idleness
Joy over Sorrow
Light over Darkness
Truth over Dishonesty
Peace over Disharmony
Healing over Illness
I imagine one may encounter me in a day, and believe I’m just a simple, free-spirited, happy-go-lucky person. I speak of peace and love and God’s protection. I am filled with an abundance of love and gratitude in every moment. My smile, although hidden under a mask as of late, is the first sign you will see of my heart. The thing is though, what makes me who I am isn’t a quick assessment that you can wrap up in a box with a label. I do not wish to be defined. It takes a lot of work to smile from within. It takes a lot of work to trust with your whole heart. To Let go. To Believe.
I used to smile on the outside in order to protect myself and you from knowing my fears, my illness, my pain, my truth. That smile shielded me, or so I believed. Sadly, while believing I had the strength and power to shield and protect on my own, the pain inside grew and manifested while aggressively corrupting my body with maladies over the years. I am not blaming myself or saying that I allowed illness into my body. I am not saying that I had negative thoughts and therefore, became unhealthy. I am just saying that I am more aware of my part in what I have allowed in my life.
I always considered myself filled with Love and Compassion. Hope and Strength. Gratitude and Forgiveness. Kindness and Tenderness. I have learned over the years that anger, resentment, and guilt only hurt us if we continue to let them be a part of our thinking.
I have learned that I am not what happens or happened to me. I am who I choose to be and become.
I have learned that I have a choice about whom and what I let into my life.
I have learned that my life is what my thoughts make it.
The saying goes that we should be kind because we never know what someone else is going through. We may judge and believe we know another by what we see on the outside but we don’t. There are so many layers to each of us. So many obstacles and challenges we’ve overcome. I fall down, get back up, and fight again. I take them as opportunities to stand firmly in my strength and trust, once again.
I Never give up.
I Never allow the difficulties to be stronger than my willingness and ability to overcome them.
I choose peace.
I choose hope.
I choose Love.
I am not saying that these challenges don’t still present themselves and attempt to take me down. They do. Often with a vengeance. I am also not saying that these challenges don’t cause fear in my heart. They do, if I let them.
The difference today is that I have tools. I have choices. I know that the only things I really have any control over, are my thoughts. That is all. I do my best not no accept or embrace fear, illness, or negativity as reality. I am not in denial. I am not closing my eyes and passively wishing it away. I am choosing to face, in faith, everything. The negative forces show up in many forms. I am choosing to see them as opportunities. Opportunities to go deeper, closer, higher. Opportunities to trust and know, wholeheartedly, that God is protecting, guiding, and showing the way. I am Trusting that by keeping my heart so filled with Truth, Light, Love, and Peace, only Goodness and Harmony may enter. I am standing firmly in my belief that I am healing, because of my choices. I am healing because my life is what my thoughts make it.
My shield is different now. It is no longer trying to hide something. The shield I count on and wear so proudly, is the absolute trust in my Protector. My Creator. Spirit; Mind; Intelligence; the animating Principal of all that is real and good. My guardian; Life, Truth, and Love, perfect and eternal. This shield is stronger than any other I have chosen, accepted, embraced; trusted. It is real. It is everything.
I am so thankful.
I am CHOOSING; All of the above and so much more.
May we all be aware and conscious of our choices and allow ourselves to be open to receiving the many blessings within and around.
โฅ๏ธ Sandy
