“If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing.”
Gail Sheehy

Have you ever tried to get to sleep and found yourself tossing and turning unable to grasp even a speck of rest? Have thoughts gone through your mind during those times that amaze and mystify you? Did you ever write those thoughts down or zero in on them in order to receive what wisdom they contain?

“Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.”
Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910)

I had one of those experiences the other night and within the kernel of one sentence was the key to unlocking and removing all the struggles within me. It came like a laser beam and vaporized all in its way. I was half way between sleep and wakefulness in that dream world where miracles happen. I sensed the sifting of thoughts and the discovery of truth deep within my psyche. It was a magical moment in which I recognized an awakening.

“Seeds of faith are always within us; sometimes it takes a crisis to nourish and encourage their growth.”
Susan Taylor

During the past year I have gone through my own crisis of sorts. From personal, health, and inner conflicts I have grown to understand who I am and to appreciate all the gifts that surrounds me. It was a rocky road full of surprise and wonder but one that has caused me to grow exponentially in directions that I would not have imagined. It began and continues in the quiet moments when I take the time to listen to my inner voice speak.

“A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if it's a whisper.”
Barry Neil Kaufman

To become awakened is to become aware of the truth that surrounds you. It is to see where you couldn’t see before and to become aware of truths that were hidden behind the veil of our consciousness. It is to become alert to possibilities and to seek a presence when you most feel alone. Becoming awakened opens your eyes to begin a process of change that will influence your life forever.

“In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself.”
J. Krishnamarti

The greatest tool you can use is awareness during the quiet moments of your day. It is the conscious listening to clues given to you by the universe. Each clue is an encapsulated expression of wonder and as such can cause tremendous change in your world. Simply listen, collect, and assimilate all you hear and begin the process. Begin it with enthusiasm and energy for what you will uncover will astound you.

“You can do anything you think you can. This knowledge is literally the gift of the gods, for through it you can solve every human problem. It should make of you an incurable optimist. It is the open door.”
Robert Collier

Keep the door open and you will find answers to the questions of life. You will become fascinated with the depth and breadth of the information you will receive and will become awakened to the potential that is within you. Such potential lies dormant until you become aware of its presence and are willing to approach the truth of who you are.

“Doubt yourself and you doubt everything you see. Judge yourself and you see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgment. And you can see forever.”
Nancy Kerrigan

In my awakening I became a witness to the truths of my life. I became open to the possibility of change that will create new direction, energy, and instill within me the seeds of my future. All it took was a moment of listening to my inner voice. All that was needed was a willingness of confront that part of myself that needed mending. Within a seconds time my world had changed and I was a new person.

“We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly. . . spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order.”
Susan Taylor

Take the time you need to have that conversation with your inner self. Begin a process where you listen to your inner voice and allow it to show you the way to awaken that part of you that has become dormant. Listen carefully for within a single word you may find the key to unlock your future of choice.

“As long as anyone believes that his ideal and purpose is outside him, that it is above the clouds, in the past or in the future, he will go outside himself and seek fulfillment where it cannot be found. He will look for solutions and answers at every point except where they can be found--in himself. “
Erich Frohm