Smile

Whoa there

Take it easy on yourself

    No need

To punish yourself so casually 

    Be your friend 

Be your biggest fan

   Let go of a few your plans

Relax a little

   Take a breath or two

Feel your heart pulsing inside of you

    Focus

And feel

   The present moment 

Let it flow

And let it go 

  Nudge yourself along

Remember 

   No one is perfect

Everyone alive 

    Has a shadow side 

So be quick to forgive 

    And there to listen 

Be gentle

  And kind

So much of reality 

   Starts in the mind

Focus on the light when you can

    But don’t be afraid to look the darkness in the eyes

When you need to

   But only when you need to 

Just enough to recognize 

    A few of the lies 

Yes, just digest

   A few of the lies

At a time

  The ones inside 

  And the ones outside 

They try to hide

  From me 

And from you

   We all wrestle with the struggle 

And can get lost in the hustle 

    And we all just want to feel free

Love yourself fully

   And judge yourself gently 

It’s okay, sometimes 

  Not to be okay

The sun always comes up

   After our darkest day 

Respect all living things

  And be grateful for everything 

Take your time

   And use it wisely 

And smile

Just

 Smile 

It will help yourself

  And it will help everyone else.

   CH 5/17/24