WHERE DID YOU BEGIN AND WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

Why does this time of year lend itself to self reflection? I look at this sweet photo of me as a baby in my mother's arms, and I cannot help but wonder about the path my life has taken. Do you believe that our lives are like scripts? Has everything been written in some cosmic screenplay, and we are simply the actors cast in the starring roles? If so, would you like another take? A different script? A different leading man/woman? How much of our lives was written in the stars or in our dna? How much of our lives has been determined by the choices we've made? How much is controlled by our thoughts?

It is an idea that is both very new and very old that we can shape our reality through the perception of that reality. Contemporary gurus have cheapened these ideas as they have sought to popularize them for personal gain. Even Oprah gave the "Law of Attraction" writers her stage and access to her audience. But long before the cheesy movie, "The Secret," profound thinkers have expressed a similar belief.
Hidden among Rebbe Nachman of Breslov's wonderful teachings is this little pearl of wisdom:

 "You are wherever your thoughts are. Make sure your thoughts are where you want to be."


If you are as introspective as I tend to be, this can be a tough one. Sometimes, I have to call the Thought Police on myself. I can get lost in worries or fears that threaten to overwhelm me. My logical side knows that the negative thinking only sends me into further depths; I know that obsessing about the worries never dispels them. However, sometimes, especially in the middle of the night, these worries are traveling on a runaway train and I feel powerless to stop them. At those moments, I need the Thought Police (and some Tylenol PM) to rescue me from myself.

I am trying to work harder at feeling the present without fearing the future. I am learning to acknowledge my past without judging myself (or the universe) for the hills and valleys, the false starts and wrong turns. That tiny Rachel in her mother's arms cared only about having her immediate needs met, and they were met. She had love and warmth and safety and food; she had everything she needed. Mostly, we all still have everything we need. We may not have it all on every given day, but we know that when those bad days strike, the likelihood is that tomorrow will be better and brighter. Best of all, we own our thoughts and we can send them wherever we choose. Personally, I am going to try to do a better job of sending mine to "where I want to be."
SO, as you think about where you began and where you are going, don't forget to enjoy this day, this moment, this second and celebrate exactly where you are right now!