We've come a long way...

It's been a long couple of days, and as I sit and ponder how I've almost reached the end of an era, I am reminded that while things might never be the same, it may just be exactly what I need. I've created a plan of where I want to be, and I think I found the most proficient way of getting there - now all I need is the fortitude and grace to see it through. It surely won't be easy, and I could very well stumble before I even start, yet what drives me most, is that I don't truly have a choice at all. I have marked my path, and the universe hasn't steered me wrong so far, thus I only need patience, courage, and as always, a little bit of luck.

What we call our destiny is truly our character and that character can be altered. The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny. One is not in bondage to the past, which has shaped our feelings, to race, inheritance, background. All this can be altered if we have the courage to examine how it formed us. We can alter the chemistry provided we have the courage to dissect the elements. Because only then can you claim, that you are not a victim. No matter what you have been through, you're still here. You may have been challenged, hurt, betrayed, beaten, and discouraged, but nothing has defeated you. You are still here! You have been delayed but not denied. You are not a victim, you are a victor.