This is not a test Dear One.  And it is not some puzzle to figure out either.  Challenges are not trials.

This is your life.  YOUR life, to do with as you please.

There truly are no have to’s. There are only choices, and they are all yours to make.

Beginnings are wonderful things.  They are exciting, hopeful, limitless, exhilarating, filled with possibility, promise, and the unknown.

In the beginning, anything can happen, anything is possible.

And this Dear One, is only the beginning.

Wake up and approach this day, and every situation, opportunity, and relationship in it with this attitude, and watch as your life transforms.

Why beat yourself up with should-haves, would-haves, and could-haves Dear One, when what you didn’t do then, is, and always will be, so much less important than what you choose to do now.

Just in case you were wondering Dear One, the antidote to conflict is acceptance.

Complete and total acceptance.

Not approval.  Not agreement.  Not compromise.  Not settling.  Not accommodating.  Not pretending.  Not lying.  Not cheating. Not faking it.  And most definitely not resignation.

If you want to diffuse a conflict Dear One, accept what is, exactly as it is, for exactly what it is, as quickly as you possibly can.

And once you do, once you stop pushing, resisting, railing against what is, once you let go of the emotional charge that conflict brings to a situation, then, and only then, will you be in a position (a very powerful one actually) to make a thoughtful, rational, intentional, and heartfelt decision about what you are going to do next.

If with one hand you are reaching back Dear One, holding on to things in your past, and with the other you are reaching out ahead of you, holding on to a vision of your future, is it any wonder that you feel as if you are being pulled in two different directions in the here and now?

You should know that which is for your greatest good is and will always be, right here, in the present moment.

The tradition of joining both hands together at your heart for prayer, for meditation, for your daily practice, is meant to be a reminder for you of this.

Be. Here. Now.

In this moment, never mind what you should be doing or could be doing Dear One.  Never mind what they need from you or what they want from you.  Never mind what their expectations are.  Let them go.

In this moment all that really matters is you – what you think of you – what you want from you – what you expect from you – what you want this day to be.

When was the last time that you allowed the sound of your own voice, your own heart, your own wants, your own needs to lead you – regardless of the needs, wants and expectations of those around you?

In this moment, ignore them Dear one.  Ignore all of them and listen only to yourself, to you own inner voice.  Pay close to the details of what it has to say to you – because your own heart holds much wisdom for you.  It holds much love and compassion and forgiveness for you too.

In this moment, allow yourself to connect with that wisdom.

And in the next, allow yourself to follow it.

Don’t curse time for moving too fast Dear One, or for moving too slowly. Don’t blame it for prolonging your pain or cutting short your pleasure.

You are the one in charge of how you choose to experience its passage. You are the one who decides how you are going to spend it.  That power always has and always will rest with you, not with time.

Time is a gift Dear One.  Not a curse.

Make a choice to experience it intentionally and consciously, with ease, grace and gratitude.

Use it.  Enjoy it.  Celebrate it. Open yourself up to it.

The experience of it is, after all, one of the biggest reasons you are here.

A willingness to proceed. Sometimes that is all that you need to muster up in yourself Dear One.

When fear, doubt, confusion, remorse, indecision, sadness or panic even, overwhelm you and you get lost in your current set of circumstances and want nothing more than to shut down, disconnect, give up – if you do nothing more then simply remain open to the idea of continuing to move forward – then you will!

Digging in, stopping in your tracks will not heal, solve, or resolve anything. If fact, it can do the exact opposite of that. Stopping can prolong pain and suffering, confusion, remorse and loneliness.

Life’s current is constantly moving, flowing towards someplace new. If you let go and allow yourself to float for a while – no kicking, no screaming, no splashing about – simply let go and float, before you know it, you will be in a different place. The scenery will have changed and you will find that you have moved on from that place that was no longer serving you.

Not now, not today, not ever Dear One, will you ever be in a position where your options, your choices, your possibilities, are controlled, dictated or determined by anyone else other than yourself. At least not without your permission.

Please try and remember that the next time you look around and find yourself feeling as though your options are limited.