First Choice = Love

Loving ourselves is really the very first thing we need to do to live a happy life. It is quite simple, but as we all know is not always that easy. It is the love we have for ourselves that resonates outward and draws in loving relationships, positive encounters, and auspicious situations.

There is a pull in the physical world around us that can lead us down a path of feeling inadequate. It takes conscious living, spiritual awareness, to reject these messages and honor the bright being that we innately are. Our own personal power is far stronger than that of the external world around us--if we chose to embrace it. That's where the gift of choice comes in to play. Every choice we make either stokes that internal flame or it dampens it. If our decisions are guided by what we think is expected of us or by fear of what others may think, we aren't growing. If being true to ourselves and living a righteous life drives what we think, what we say, and what we do, we're on the path to higher personal power and greater happiness.

When we are standing in confidence and strength, we have the ability to change the world around us, just by being. Confidence means to believe in your power and ability. If you believe it then it is your truth. Einstein said the ideals most important to him were truth, goodness, and beauty. Making choices based on what is good and right, believing in our value and abilities, and appreciating and respecting all that is divine around us--that seems like a happy journey to me. Does it mean every day is filled with happiness? No--that is where life comes full circle and we get to make a choice again. Each moment we get to decide if we'll follow that inner light that radiates outward and upward or if we'll follow some rules that try to tell us how we're supposed to be living our lives. It's in the times of struggle that we really have opportunity to grow. We know what the right decision is. We just need to have faith in ourselves and truly believe that we are worthy of all the goodness being offered to us.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered: Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives: Be kind anyway. If you are... successful you will win some false friends and true enemies: Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank people will try to cheat you: Be honest anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight: Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten by tomorrow: Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." ~Mother Teresa

peace, love, and abounding happiness~