Today I Choose to Embrace Joy

I will live today in the present,
rejoicing in each precious moment.
For far too long, I have lived in the pain and shame
of the past or in fear about the future.
I have spent most of my life inside my head, cut off from the
rich experiences of the present moment.

Today, I will not deny or repress the pain from my childhood
but I wont get stuck there either. 
I will comfort the hurt child within me
and seek to leave behind
the bitterness that is robbing me of my life.

Today I will also resist the temptation to live in
my elaborate plans and worries about the future.  
I will relieve my inner child
of the need to anticipate the future
in order to avoid danger. 

I was unable to relax and enjoy my childhood
but I will not miss what life offers me in my adulthood.
Today I will embrace with joy
all that this day has to give.

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