What’s first? Is it to be happy? Is it to look at your life and be satisfied? Or is any of this even realistic?
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence says “that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

For now, let’s circle back to the beginning. Or better yet, let’s go back to the point of this journal which is to say I found it!”
This is about the countless “Eureka!” moments we have on a daily basis. This is about our daily discoveries, let alone the great moments of realization, which we have throughout our life.

I had been working at the same site for nearly fifteen years, which is a long time. However, I say this yet, there were people who had worked at this same location for 40 years which upon my arrival, was longer than I was alive. We will call this person Louie. He began his tour at my job site before I was even born. To put this clearly, my position is blue collar. I have held several jobs throughout my life but this one is my longest stint. I am a union worker with a skilled trade and collective bargaining agreement that supports my life. I have been a member of this outfit since 1998.

Before we go any further, it should be clear to us all that compulsion or obsession has nothing to do with logic or sanity. Or, in many cases, the compulsion or the obsession itself is known about.
This is not a secret. Whether this is about food or about sex or about drugs or drinking, shopping, working or so on, upon ignition, the action meets a need and albeit brief, the action satisfies the compulsion which often leads to a crash or hangover. Better yet, this leads to moments of degradation which sanity would suggest, “Stop doing it!” But the compulsion to feel better or to find that moment of euphoria is stronger than logic.

And then you wake up. Then you look around. Nothing is holding you back. You have a plan. You have a path and route. You have an exit strategy and your speech which you’ve already prepared and rehearsed a thousand times.
So? What are you waiting for?

There is no real mystery as to why we feel stress or why life can be hard. We all know that life is hard. Perhaps this is not so on all occasions, but for a majority of people, life is hard. This has nothing to do with wealth or with fame. This has nothing to do with looks or fashion, nor does this have anything to do with power. If wealth or power could buy happiness, then there would be no such thing as miserable millionaires.

And it’s true. There are days that cannot end soon enough. It is also true that there are times that you want to break out of the continuous feeling of something’s gone wrong; yet, we still have a race to run. We still have life in front of us and somehow, somewhere, probably deep down, we have to find whatever it takes to get up and get moving. 

I had been in search of the obvious for way too long. It was clear that something was missing in my life. However, it was unclear that everything I had ever been looking for was always right there; right in front of my face.
All the facts were there. Everything was obvious but not to me. No, I was caught up in the cognitive distortions of who I was and who I wanted to be.
Now, I say this because odds are no one ever picks on the captain of the football team. No one ever bullies the toughest kid in the school. No one messes with the crazy kids and no one picks on the socially desirable. 
Everyone loves the head cheerleader. We celebrate the wealthy and we exploit the beautiful to a cheaper value. But still, attention in the smallest degree is like gold, especially when we are starved for it.

This entry will be a little different from the others. Or, more accurately, this entry will be a little more sentimental than the other entries. Either way, what I am about to report to you is what I have found which helps me keep my love alive. This helps me keep my hope that wherever they are, they can see me in a good light and that, of course, they’ll be proud.
Who do you mean, you ask?
Well, I guess I should get to it and make myself clear. . .

The fact of the matter is once you know, now you know. It’s not like we can plead ignorance anymore. It’s not like you can go along, acting the same or doing the same things.
This is why most people refuse to explore and understand themselves. This is why people shy away from the truth or avoid being exposed to the light because the fact is, it’s easier to hide in darkness.

Again, once you know, now you know. You’ve opened your eyes long enough to see the truth – and now there’s nowhere to turn. There’s no way to hide from yourself. You’re accountable now, which means you’re responsible for what happens next.