Be Gentle With Yourself

 "...You are a child of the Universe,

 no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the Universe is unfolding as it should..."

                                                                                                 Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

The above quote is taken from the poem Desiderata. My father had this poem framed and hung in the  lobby of his business and he truly lived by this creed. I urge you to read it in it's entirety for it holds
everything you need to know, to trust that life is unfolding as it should, and you will find many gems
of advice within it.

It is a great reminder to be true to yourself, to be kind to yourself and to treat others with respect.
Listen to their stories, for we all have one, and you might just learn something by listening to someone else's plight, even if it simply to remind you of how fortunate you are! There are hundreds of millions of people on this planet that would gladly swap places with you right this minute.

So before you compare yourself to others, (for that will bring you nothing but misery and focus on
the lack in your life), and there will always be someone thinner and richer and "more successful" than you, decide what success truly means to you. Does it mean financial independence, more time spent with your loved ones or more time doing what you love? Whatever it means to you, you have to be clear on exactly what that is, before you can attain it.

In the meantime, be gentle with yourself, be grateful for not only the gifts and blessings you have been blessed with, but for the challenges, for they will teach you the lessons you truly need to learn.

Be still and find the peace that you crave. Nurture yourself and know that this world is a beautiful place to be and your happiness depends on you and what you wish to contribute to others during your time here on Earth.

You are blessed to be here. Enjoy your time, as none of us know how long we are here for. Make your actions count and strive to leave this world a better place than you found it.