has had their integrity, or their lives, for that matter, taken away from them so that I could have mine intact.
Knowledge rather than achievement - Of all the things that I have experienced in this last year, I think the knowledge and wisdom that have come to me has been more valuable than anything I could have achieved in the material world. I have learned so much about myself, about my strengths and my weaknesses; and about the world, that I am free to create, a world that allows me to grow and stretch my wings if I choose, but that also welcomes me and accepts me as I am. Perhaps the greatest piece of knowledge I uncovered was that, in every moment of every day, I have a choice. I can choose how I will spend that moment, how I will react to what is going on around me, and how I can adjust my response from a grievance to a blessing all on my own.
Serenity rather than acquisitions - When I pared down my personal belongings in order to move from my large apartment to the tiny one I now inhabit, I knew that I wasn't really losing anything but, rather, I was gaining freedom. What I actually got by letting go of my stuff was the acquisition of my true self, the witness inside who was trying so hard to speak to me of what truly mattered, but who was drowned out by the cacophony of daily life. To be honest, the only thing I miss that I got rid of was one book, and I replaced that one with an electronic version so it wouldn't take up any space. My inner space remains wide open to explore.
I wish you all a happy, healthy New Year filled with a quality of life that allows you integrity, peace and the knowledge that who you are is enough. The rest is just stuff.
"Perhaps the greatest piece of knowledge I uncovered was that,
in every moment of every day, I have a choice."