by S.L. Harris

 

Phase 1: The Story of Us: The World of My Dreams

Phase 2: The Real World: The Entangled Universe

Phase 3: Between Two Worlds: The Real Fairytale Ending

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I am so excited and grateful that the third book of the series that I created is completed. It represents a completion of a cycle in my life. I look at it as a sort of rites of passage from one phase of existence to another.

 

What I am truly grateful for are my experiences over the last few years. Initially, I looked at the things that had transpired in my life as burdens. I viewed them as things that had "happened to me". Now I realize that my life experiences are a part of my journey. And I am so happy that I was able to let you all in on my healing through my written words: blogs, poems, and books.

 

When I write, it comes from a place of love and acceptance. This is an easy concept for me as a counselor when I'm helping others to heal. But as for my own healing, in regard to accepting and loving myself regardless of my situation, that was a very hard thing for me to do.

 

Writing helped me to get in tune with those parts of myself that needed to be explored.

 

It was important to show myself that I had the confidence to do it. But, in order to be confident in "me", I had to be secure in who I was presenting. The person that I presented to the world, I was just beginning to know.

 

One of the biggest lessons I learned on this journey is that when I raised my standards for myself, I began to vibrate on a higher level; emotionally, mentally, and spiritually which opened up my creativity. The people who were around me during this time and before were attracted to the level that I was on before I begin my journey. Some had a hard time accepting the changes in my life, and my relationship with them had to change as a result.

 

What I discovered is that a lot of people get caught up in their own cycles, which consists of a continuous loop; things being done in the same manner that's been working for them over the years. My role contributed as a supporting character in their saga. I imagine it like cycles. Think of individual vortexes spinning around to accomplish a goal on a day to day basis. And those who come close to the vortex being automatically pulled into that cycle. That was me, being constantly pulled into everyone’s life cycle, leaving my own life out of that process.

 

Therein lies the balance of “being of service” and “setting boundaries” for myself. When I realize that there needed to be margins established, it placed me on a journey of trying to understand what I wanted for myself and creating a good amount of space between others and the part that they desired for me to play in their lives. This led to me walking away from some situations in which I had strong ties to.

 

This process broke me all the way down; giving up what it is you think you want for a better future. It’s hard to understand the sacrifice in a move like this. But, a part of me knew that it needed to be done to change my current life cycle. I didn’t want to keep attracting the same type of person in my life: emotionally unavailable people, who took from me what they couldn’t offer themselves. I’m all for loving and caring for a person, but I’ve learned that love has to be reciprocated and expressed. There must be a form of communication with a viable plan for a future to continue in a relationship.

 

This is what the book series, “The Story of Us” explores.

 

Walking away from the half-ass efforts that are offered to a person in a relationship, and the ability to redefine who you present to the world, which affects what you attract as a result.

 

The funny thing is, when you walk away from old habits, you can see your worth.

 

©2019 S.L. Harris