Never, Never, Never Give Up

By Shavawn Berry @ShavawnB

Phoenix Bird Wallpaper

Day 14: A – Z Challenge

Rise, Phoenix. Rise.

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”~ Aldous Huxley

One of the things that nearly 30 years of Buddhist practice has taught me is the value of resilience.

Keep trying. Start again. Rethink your approach. Ask questions. Remember — always — that every day is brand new.

And although there have been plenty of times when I fell to my knees and wept, as I prayed for solutions, I never gave up.

I never stopped. I never allowed my pity party to go on indefinitely.

Via Lost Soul Quotes on Pinterest

Grateful for What Is and Whatever Will Be.

Life is a process-oriented journey. Traveling and immersing yourself in the experience is more important than arriving. Fully living is more important than whether we win or lose.

And I am the arbiter of that judgment. No one but me knows the growth I’ve experienced. No one else can gauge just how far I’ve come because I am the only person who knows where I started. Therefore, I don’t need to measure up to anyone’s yardstick but mine.

Looking back, with compassion.

As a result, as I age, I see myself with kinder, less critical eyes. I marvel at my pure moxie. I realize I deserve a trophy or a banner to hang over my bed that says:

“There. There. You Did Your Best, Dear One.”

Because I did.

I kept walking, I kept learning, I kept going.

And because I continue to question and learn and pray and move forward, I can encourage others to do the same. Even those who may standing on their last legs, weary and devastated.

We can always rise again, even if we drop. That’s what it means to ‘rise from the ashes.’ That’s what it means to have grit.

And we have it. I know we do.

No Matter What, Never Stop.

Never stop exploring. Never stop questioning. Never stop praying.

Never stop laughing, even when you feel like crying.

You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you think.

And you are deeply loved by your angels and guides and every other stripe of your weird tribe of like-minded souls.

You are loved by this wild universe more than you will ever possibly know.

Don’t forget.

© 2015  Shavawn M. Berry All rights reserved

Feel free to share this post with others, as long as you include the copyright information and keep the whole posting intact. If you like this piece please share it with others. You can like me on Facebook  or Twitter to see more of my writing and my spiritual journey on my website  at www.shavawnmberry.com.