I know I don't need things. All I need is myself. But I am asking anyway.

I want to eliminate my debt. I want to move on to the next phase in my life. I want to give and to be open. I want to be more than what I do. I want to help people and help myself. So I will make some promises.

I will no longer indulge in self-pity. I will not look for my reflection in others. I will love the world and my place in it, no matter what that may mean. I want to be able to move easily and try new adventures and be less tied to things. I will not blame others for who I am. I am more than my possessions or even my relationships. I am strong and I will endure.

I will not wait to be happy. I am happy now! I will walk in other people's shoes and still make my own footsteps. I am grateful for being me, for being young, for being healthy, for being smart and for being alive. I am going to live and will no longer fear. I can be afraid, but will not fear.

I will honor my family and give them all my love and understanding for they are full of love for me. I will enjoy every moment with them. I will understand patience - with family, with friends, with colleagues and with strangers.

I am calm. I am at peace. I am the one who will take care of me and will not wait for someone else to do it for me. I will provide good food, more sunshine, lots of water, more exercise and more playing. I deserve this respect. I am living in the moment and today is all I need. My moment to moment is neither in the past nor the future, it is now. I will delight in the newness of things, the richness of life and the beauty that is everywhere. I will not despair at evil and will not let it devastate me; it will not have that power over me. Good is always stronger than bad, even at its darkest.

I will not make a clear picture of who I want in life, but will remain open to what I am given (and wait until my insides tie up in knots). I am also free to say no when it's not right because I now know who I am. Would be nice at last, but know that I will be happy remaining with me. All I can do.

I will stop using "I". Thanks for listening.

[May 11, 2008]