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True freedom is so different than what i had always believed, and so much more i mportant than the little

consideration i had given it. It can be so rare and i t is always about what is inside you, never outside, alhthough of course the tim es in which you live and the environment are essential to your well being. Vicktor Frankel, a Jewish psychologist who had been in the concentration camps d uring World War 2, wrote that your attitude is everything. That you must have a reason to live, a meaning and purpose to life, and then you can survive anythin g. A beautiful man with a beautiful message. But for some people even this choice of an attitude or finding a reason to live can be difficult. Maybe they feel compelled to do certain things or they are tr apped in a prison in their own minds. People who are mentally ill, who hear voi ces, or who have other disorders of the brain may feel as though they are in a l iving hell. Even severe depression or anxiety can disable a person's ability to think clearly enough to even get to choose the right attitude. I believe that even within this nightmare there can be peace and freedom and str ength. Medications to get people through such traumas or difficulties can be a blessing , and definitely may be worth it, even short term. Therapy, just talking with an understanding professional, or having friends around, families who love you a nd listen to you, those are enormous blessings too. Taking walks in nature, play ing inspirational music, reading, writing in your journal, writing about your fe elings and your problems, and also writing about all the good things in your lif e, however small they seem - these are great ways to help you get to where you n eed to be. I know that I need a source outside of me, beyond me, to help me when I feel los t or stuck. I am inside myself, where we all live, and it can be almost impossi ble to see your way out of a certain mess when all you see or know is you, and y ou are part of that mess, at the very center. So I pray. I used to think i was so religious because i went to Mass and Cathol ic school as a kid and a teenager. I used to think a lot of things about myself . But I know I am not even close to being religious. I just want to have peace. I want to take care of myself and get through what can seem like a horrible or difficult life. And i have known for so long that this is what gets me through . Praying and putting myself in a place where I can feel closer to God and clos er to Heaven. It just makes sense to me. That's all. And so it is there that I find all the peace and strength and freedom that I hav e ever wanted. But it takes time, it takes practice, it takes commitment. Ever y day, slowly, you begin to feel a change. You can't just walk away from God and then go back, walk away and then go back. Your real dad would not like this . N either does the Father in Heaven. No one likes this. So I have to be faithful and keep my word. Once you have felt His presence, His spirit, His comfort, even in the middle of suffering, you will really know what it is like to be in hell when it is gone. When you ignore it. When you turn to other things, when you turn to people, for what He gives you. I would love to see people out of the living hell in which so many can live. I include myself Circumstances, poverty, war, physical conditions, they are part of this. But inside, even if you have a wonderful or ordinary life, you can be s uffering. And that is harder to change, believe me. Countries can step in and help with disasters, people can give money and time and help, in a way that can be alleviated, but it is never easy or simple. The inside of a human being? Th

e soul? No country, no amount of money, can cure that. I believe God can reach in no matter where you are and take you up and out of it . If you want and need a better attitude, a better life, anything, anything at all in this world, guys, first turn to this source. To God. Before you do anythin g else. Include Him in everything. See if things get better for you. I believ e they will. You still have to work every day, dont give up, dont stop your pra yer time, or meditation. I say this from my heart because of what I have been through and still may go th rough at times. Never walk away from a good thing. Never walk away from a sure thing. That kind of love and acceptance can only come from the Divine. You may not think of God as a sure thing as you look around at the world and see all th e misery. But believe me, it would be so much worse without our faith. Without o ur prayers. And so much of that misery is due to us and our stupidity and our separation from Him. I'm not going to like that and it I want us all to t's the only war God bless Angie start talking all holy and fancy and religious on you! I dont isnt me. So i will quit while I'm ahead and let you know that be free and happy and in a place that is Heaven inside us. Tha we really have to fight and win.

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