I have always said, “You are all wise, and able to act on your life as the people who have created fortunes, success and abundance.
Your voice is as strong as theirs.
Your mission is as important as any other human being on this planet.
Your words are as inspiring as the grandest teachers of our times.”
Today’s message in a bottle is dedicated to your words, to the lessons you learned along the way.
It is my honor to share the stage with all of you.
From The Life Starters of Second Firsts
“Sorrow prepares you for joy.
It violently sweeps everything out of your house, so that new joy can find space to enter. It shakes the yellow leaves from the bough of your heart, so that fresh, green leaves can grow in their place.
It pulls up the rotten roots, so that new roots hidden beneath have room to grow. Whatever sorrow shakes from your heart, far better things will take their place.” Jelaluddin Rumi
“At one point I asked myself how I could go on living even though I didn’t want to live anymore. My first thought was that I had to live one day at a time but when I tried that, I discovered that was too much for me. I found that I had to learn to live as if I was learning to walk, first the right foot – then the left foot – repeat as often as possible. One day I will be running.” LOGGA
“Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Donna Williams
“Turn your sadness into goodness, it helps fill the hole in your heart.” Leigh Gentry Claypool
“I refuse to tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death!” Marian Mikki Gunn
“Breathing in and out is a blessing.” Sandy Newsome
“Follow your heart!” Karen O’Brien
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself!!” Stephanie McGhee
“Feel the feelings that come and not judge them or label them as bad or as something you “shouldn’t” feel…When we fight our feelings they just dig in their heels and stay around a lot longer.” Karin Tunis
“Be gentle with yourself in all ways. It helps to have a community who understands a big part of what you’re going through. Be gentle with yourself in all ways.” Catherine Verrilli
“Please don’t feel discouraged. Often, the last key opens the lock.” ~ Unknown~ Via Melody Muller
“My attitude is this: If you don’t like your life, change it! You are in control of what your destiny is. Don’t listen to others’ advice, or do things because others expect you to. Do what makes you happy. Follow your dreams, wherever they lead you. Life is too short to spend it where your heart’s not present.” Barbara Benson
“To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly.” William James
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” T. S. Eliot via Melody Muller
“Forgiveness is letting go of the hope that the past can be different.” Karen Tarnower
“By keeping our thoughts in the past, our dreams cannot be realized, because we are not able to visualize our awesome new life of today!” Sheri Hellige
“Find a reason to be excited about today and tomorrow. Hunt for it, grab on and do not let go.” Marjie Fields
“Everything from a meal,to a blanket,to a moment of silence is better when it’s shared. We have the choice to suffer and rejoice alone. We are meant to share.” Just Whisher
“I turned my Grief into Giving & Grins by giving back to others that have been down my path. It’s very rewarding in the end.” Leigh Gentry Claypool
“I say the Serenity Prayer each night before I go to bed. It helps me clear my mind for restful sleep and when the new day begins, my soul is rested and at ease.” Wendy Killborn Reed
“The best thing I can think of is to share my dad’s dying words to me … “Things will get better and you will be happy again.” My dad never lied to me once in my life so it is up to me to see to the full fruition of these words and to live the best life I can with the time I have left. He died Halloween night 2009 and, while I’m not nearly “there”, I’m making steady progress.” Janet Warner
“I choose LIFE…(It is not easy)….I have found the truth in the statement “Life goes on”, with us or without us…either way it goes on……” Gaylin Kipher Scarfo
“This day, I heal the wound of my loss, with LOVE, COURAGE, and HUMOR!” Monica Smith
“The strength and determination that has gotten you this far, is the same strength and determination that will carry you forward.” Rosalle Hagel
“Love the life you live. Live the life you love.” I have just learned to live life to the fullest and enjoy and don’t take anything for granted because my 20 yr old son would have wanted it that way. He was a free spirit and enjoyed the short life he had.” Tanya Resnick Willis
“I hold this life, the same life, and embrace it, knowing I can ONLY have a full life, by living it fully, not by how many years I’ve been alive…. this was re-taught to me by my 29 year old Free Spirited Son, who also enjoyed his full life. I think of him in all I do, and want him to be HAPPY wherever he is. This Mom would make him Happy.” Sherilyn Talley
“By living in the present to the best of our ability we honor our past for bringing us to the perfect space for growth and the fulfillment of our potential destiny. It seldom feels that way, but trust that is true.” Ladd J McClurg
“Whenever you have the chance to step outside of your comfort zone, and be with new people in a brand new environment jump, leap and fly to that space.
I promise you when the discomfort ends, your life will begin.” Christina Rasmussen
Thank you all for writing, sharing and using your wisdom to rebuild your life from scratch.
Keep listening in, and keep bringing out what has always been the truth. Your life is up to you. No matter the loss, the pain, the difficulty meter. I have learned that it is true we do not have all of the controls but what we do have is free will and a free mind.
I hope you enjoyed the wisdom of others, and of course your own, and learned that you are the only one with the key that fits the lock.
All my love,
Christina
PS. I have created this program to bring you back to your life, if you are ready to re-enter, you know what you need to do: www.secondfirsts.com/bridge-to-life/
