Did I Ever Wake Up?, Pt. 1

Did I Ever Wake Up Chapter 1- REBORN
Everything you are could be everything you were.
As I exhaled a rush came over me that I had never imagined.
No longer did I taste the recycled air jumping in and out of my lungs.
this breath belonged to me for the first time.
I could feel the links of every chain that tied me down to reality being broken one by one.
This isnt the kind of freedom my president speaks about.
This is real.
The exhilaration of this foreign feeling had made me utterly oblivious to the fact
that my eyelashes had become hundred pound barbells, determined to deal my eyelids shut.
I struggled to form a sentence as the words "
I'm good" dripped out of my mouth, barely making it past my teeth.
Had I known this was my last statement, I would have attempted to put it more eloquently.
The world as I knew it slowly faded to black as I fell into an infinite slumber.
Welcome to the dream.
The second you turn that last page is the beginning of your new life.
You're just taking your first breath.
These are your first thoughts.
Congratulations, you've successfully completed the first portion of being you.
This is where the fun starts.
As of right now, you officially have no past.
Everything prior to this moment will no longer be affecting your present in any way.
You are now everything you want to pursue.
You are every personality trait you admired, and most importantly, you are in charge.
I strongly encourage you to act, thing, speak, and participate like never before.
However, there are some key ingredients to ensure the success of this new life.
You must know what you want.
You must believe without a doubt you will obtain it.
I understand this can sound somewhat intimidating and I know some people have no idea what they want right now.
Well I'm here to let you know that the sooner you figure it out, the better.
This includes relationships, occupation, happiness, Heath, financial well-being, and everything in between.
You can always add more to the list as you go along, but consider the things you enjoy in life most, and focus on those.
Start thinking.
You can literally get anything you want if every thought is paired with a sense of affirmation.
For example, instead of saying "
I want to be happy", say "
I am happy".
It's all about the act of doing and being in pursuit.
It's time to look in the mirror and see everything you desire.
It will take imagination and self-control, but we have all been given both those things for free.
Let's start the dream.
One of my favourite pieces of advice is: If you want a new car, go test drive it.
See what it's like to get behind the wheel of your dream car.
The smell of the leather, grip of the tires and purr of the engine.
Hold these things very close to you.
Think about them.
The power of new environment.
This tool is the compas on the journey to finding yourself.
Do new things and go to new places.
As a touring musician, I wake up in a new state everyday for months at a time.
People who've never seen my face, or heard my me speak constantly surround me.
I'm free to allow my chameleon-like soul to take on any desired personality trait.
We have no past to those we haven't met.
When people don't have a preconceived idea of who we are, we can let go of what we don't want to be and become whomever we intend on being.
Sometimes it may become necessary to leave behind people or things that are holding us back from the destiny we are creating.
Meeting new people is like a slingshot thrusting you towards this new you.
duce yourself.
Just simply say hello.
Not too long ago, I redesigned every aspect of my existence.
I decided I was going to be the most enjoyable person possible for people to be around.
That's where it all started.
It was simple.
All I had to do was be fun.
I'd walk into every room and introduce myself to everyone in it.
I'd deliver every handshake with a smile.
No matter what, I was going to leave that room with a bunch of new friends.
After a very short time doing this, I began to see its effects.
People started to tell me how much more enjoyable life was and how much better they felt with me in the same room.
My happiness was not only doing wonders for me, but for everyone around me as well.
We are all here to be happy.
At that exact moment, I was reborn.
I realised how simple it was for everything you are to become everything you were.
We are extremely powerful, and control everything about ourselves.
You have the ability to shed unwanted layers of skin, and become brand new, right now.
Chapter 2- Bright Side of a Dark Moment
The power of positivity.
Have you ever wondered why right now is called the present?
It's because it's the greatest gift anyone could receive.
You're alive.
You woke up this morning and that's a reason to celebrate.
I credit all my happiness and successes to the power of the mind.
Saying it's powerful is somewhat of an understatement.
We were once prehistoric, un-evolved creatures who knew absolutely nothing.
Then one day we discovered fire and everything changed.
Then another day we invented the wheel and everything changed again.
Before you knew it, we developed and entire civilisation and here we are.
That's powerful, but what we're about to discuss goes far deeper than those layers of the mind.
The brain is a muscle, and like a bicep the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
It contains so much infinite ability and power we can't even understand how to acces its entirety.
Everything that happens in your life was born first within your mind.
You may not know it, but you're creating your own identity right this very second.
Every thought that enters your head also leaves it.
The universe is taking orders from your mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You're solely responsible for everything great in your life.
You're also responsible for everything you wish didn't happen as well.
The universe is always listening, and it's time to take advantage of that.
You don't have to be careful what you wish for, but you should be full of care.
Do not be weary or neglect your thoughts.
Think all the time, just make sure you want what you're thinking about.
What first turned me on to this way of thinking and living is the law of attraction.
This law simply states your mentality is your reality.
No matter who you are, your mind has a direct connection to the universe, and as individuals we personally choose how to embrace that.
Now, the next thing I share with you will prove to be a turning point in the creation of the rest of your life: The universe is completely unbiased.
Let's say someone is speeding down the highway in a car and suddenly sees red and blue lights flashing in the rear view mirror.
They pull off to the side of the road and get issued a speeding ticket. "
I hate speeding tickets!", the driver reacts. "
I never want another speeding ticket again." It appears that the driver just expressed a dislike for speeding tickets, but it's actually quite the contrary.
The only thing the universe heard is the driver say "speeding ticket" two times.
The universe is unbiased and doesn't pay attention to words like "want" or "don't want".
All it hears is the focus of your words and thoughts.
The universe believes we want everything we think about, so think about what you want.
I receive messages daily from people telling me that they were the law of attraction for a couple weeks and it was working really well, but then suddenly the bad days took over again.
I tell everyone the exact same thing; the challenge is the best part.
Every challenge is the universe's way of letting you know you're on the right track.
The universe is a teacher, and as we learned in school, to reach the next level you must pass the test.
You must prove that when faced with rain, you can still shine bright.
Once you pass the test, you move on to the next level of your relationship with the universe.
Eventually, after successfully enduring these challenges, the universe begins to hand you nothing but good fortune.
Have you ever heard the saying "its always darkest before dawn"?
This is true, though there's more to it than that.
You will be challenged, but once your sun comes up, it doesn't ever have to go back down.
Those bad days are actually prepelling you towards a series of never ending good ones.
That is, if you deal with them correctly.
Prove to the universe you can stand up to any unfortunate event.
Be thankful when the unexpected happens, because now you have the chance to exercise the ability to shine.
Even a situation as devastating as someone's death has a light of positivity.
Of course we miss them dearly, but they were here, and we were fortunate enough to share moments with them.
Our memories made, and memories left will live on forever.
Not only is the universe always listening, it's watching too.
Simple good deeds like picking up trash or helping an elderly woman cross the street don't go unnoticed.
Personally, I accept all organised relations as possibilities, but choose not to conform to any.
I do however exercise a form of karma daily.
I like to call it "the circle".
Every action we make is a single dot that will eventually connect itself and form a circle.
Each good decision will be reintroduced to another good decision somewhere down the line.
That also means each bad decision will reappear as well.
There are so many opportunities to earn an extra credit in this world.
Most of these opportunities will involve the way you interact with other people.
Each one of us shares this planet with nearly 7 billion other human beings.
Although I'd live for everyone to think the same way I do about positivity, I just can't expect for it to be that way all the time.
The world is built off of interactions with others, and quite honestly, if everyone were the same there would be no need for any of us.
It's very important to realise that if the opposite of what you believe in didn't exist, you'd have nothing to believe in.
Without bad, we wouldn't know what to call good.
Without lies, we wouldn't know what truth is.
Always be accepting.
We need the opposite, and it needs us.
Thinking positive will always lead to a better outcome.
A great example is by simply looking up.
Literally.
Walk outside, and look up.
The sky is endless and filled with possibility.
Now look down.
No matter where you are, you will see an ending below.
You decide whether or not to look up or down at every situation that occurs.
Let unexpected incidents roll off you like rain drops dancing down your bedroom window.
Now, if a negative thought pops into your head head that doesn't mean you're doing something wrong.
Negative thoughts may happen, but it's all about how you deal with them.