CAT Tracks PHILOSOPHY 101

During the strike, I received one of those general e-mails that I thought fit our situation. Otherwise busy, I didn't have time for much reflection...I know you can relate to that!

But...on a rainy afternoon, with no grass to cut and no car to wash (having done that yesterday)...I tracked it down, edited it down, and I present it as "food for thought". It's called...

A time comes in your life when you finally get it...when, in the midst of all your fears and the insanity that surrounds you, the voice inside your head cries out...ENOUGH! Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.

This is your awakening.

You realize it's time to stop hoping for happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon. You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you... and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself... and in the process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life.

You learn that much of life is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.

You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms.

Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live.

- Author Unknown