Israfil
As with all things, there is a beginning and there is an end. Where you are right now is a place where you’re ready to begin, because if you weren’t, you wouldn’t be there. You wouldn’t be ready for this if you hadn’t already been through some things that were preparing you for this moment. In between those two points, you have time. And in that time, you can choose how you want to live your life. Begin by being grateful for the good things in your life and for the people who love you and want to see you do well. If you don’t think you have any good things in your life, start with gratitude for yourself. Wherever you are in life, whatever your situation may be, there is always something that you can do to make things better. You may not be able to solve the world’s problems overnight, but every small action will help create positive change and make things better for others. The key is that you should start where you are right now.
The end is not the end of life, the end of strife, the end of all things as you have come to know them. It is said that to succeed you must fail first. This is true for many reasons, but one reason that it is true is that failure is a part of life. You will fail, and you will succeed in equal measure. You will have great moments and terrible moments. You will have moments where you feel like a success and others where you feel like a failure. You may be leaving behind familiar surroundings and people you love, but you are moving toward something better and more fulfilling. A new journey begins with each ending in life. Life is not an endless series of days. It is a single day, your day, and it ends only when you die. Whatever you do with it will be forgotten in the end, but if you do nothing with it, that too will be forgotten. However, this is how life works and how it has always worked. There are ups and downs and ins and outs. They are all part of being human. When you look at life through this lens you see that there are no failures, only lessons learned and experiences gained; you see that there are no successes or failures but only lessons learned and experiences gained.
The end is another name for transformation, releasing old ways, thoughts, and emotions. The beginning is not starting from the very beginning as if nothing has occurred. Everything you have experienced, and everyone you have met along the way has brought you to where you are. Begin where you are. You do not have to go back and start over to find your way again. You have already done that many times in your life and it hasn’t worked. You can’t go back in time and undo what happened because it happened! What you can do is be present at this moment and take action now to create a new outcome. Start by acknowledging that this moment is perfect. It is exactly what it needs to be. You don’t need to change anything about it except yourself. Everything that happened before this moment brought you here and now so that you could be exactly who you are at this moment in time, doing exactly what you are doing right now. The past doesn’t define who you are; rather it informs you of who you are becoming so that you can make better choices in the future based on what you have learned thus far from our experiences.
Each breath brings a choice; a choice to think, feel, and act differently. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your past has been. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or how far you have to go. It doesn’t matter what obstacles are in front of you, behind you, beside you, or above you. Your life is already happening as it should. You have everything you need to live a life full of abundance, connection, and joy. When you take a moment to consider the present, you realize that you have everything you need for this moment. You already have everything it takes to make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. In this moment, you have the power to choose how you want to think, feel, and act. You can choose to be self-aware, courageous, kind, and compassionate. Or you can choose to be self-absorbed, fearful, angry and judgmental. Each breath brings a choice; a choice to think, feel, and act differently. Each breath allows you to make a new start right here and right now.
Each breath is a beginning. Each breath allows you to be present with yourself in the present moment and experience yourself as you are right now. Each breath allows you to connect with your body, your mind, and your soul in ways that are beyond words, explanations, and understanding. The beginning of your practice is to simply begin where you are. You might be in a chair, on the floor, or standing up. You might be feeling strong and energized or tired and weak. You might be feeling frustrated or curious. You might be angry or happy. Whatever you’re experiencing right now, bring your attention to it. The world is fresh and new in each moment, and you have to begin again and again. In this sense, there are no beginnings or endings, just the constant renewal of life and consciousness through us all. This is the way of nature, and you can be a part of it by welcoming every moment as an opportunity to come awake to what’s real, who you are, and what’s possible in this world.
Begin where you are, moving past where you were. You may have a sense that life is passing you by. You may feel stuck in a rut, worried about what’s next, or fearful of the future. However, if you’re honest with yourself, you know that your past doesn’t define who you are today and it certainly doesn’t have to define who you’ll become tomorrow. You can’t do everything at once, and you can’t do everything at all times. You have to be able to prioritize, and that’s what this book is about. It’s about prioritizing your life based on your values and goals so that when you look back on it, you will see that it was a success. Most people want a quick fix for their problems. They want to be rich and famous overnight. They want to lose weight without exercising or having to watch what they eat. They want their relationships to work out perfectly without any effort on their part. However, the truth is that if you want something badly enough, it’s going to require hard work on your part. You have the power to change your life. You just have to decide that this is what you want to do. Then, let go of fear and doubt and move forward. The hardest part of any journey is the first step. After that, the rest is easy.
Transformation is the willingness to see things, people, and situations differently. A lot of people think transformation is something that happens to you. They believe that you have to go through some dramatic life change to become a better person, or that something has to happen in your life for you to change. It’s about taking a closer look at your thoughts and actions and understanding how they affect others. You don’t have to wait for something extraordinary to happen before you can start transforming your life. You can start right now by opening up your mind, letting go of old beliefs, and learning new skills for dealing with difficult situations. If you want to make positive changes in your life, it’s important not only to recognize what needs changing but also why those changes are necessary. For transformation to occur, you must understand exactly why you need it in the first place. Change is scary, but it’s also exciting. Take a moment right now to think about how you want your life to be different in the next six months. Write down what you want from your job, relationship, finances, and health. Then make a list of all the steps you need to take to get there. If you don’t have any ideas yet, that’s fine! Just start writing anyway; it will help you get clear on what you want in life and what actions will get you there. The key is to take action instead of just thinking about it.
Begin where you are. The most important thing is to begin, to take the first step, to solve the problem of starting. The second most important thing is to start in the right way. The right way to start is to start with yourself. Begin with your own life and your own will for change, and then share that energy with the people around you who want change too. You can’t wait for a miracle or a bolt from heaven to come down from above and make you into a new person. You have to do it yourself through your actions and choices each day. No one else can do it for you, no matter how much they want to help or how many times they tell you that they will help. You have to take charge of your situation and make things happen on your terms so that when the opportunity arises, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that it was your idea, not theirs. Begin where you are now, and not just with your body but also with your mind, heart, and soul because those are all part of who you are as well.
