Listen Linda

Could living intentionally be an act of defiance? That it is a declaration that we will not merely exist? But truly live? Is it an art of reclaiming our power of shaping life with our choices than letting it drift past us unnoticed?

As we surrender the resistance that breeds suffering, accepting what is beyond our control, and in doing so, we free ourselves from the weight of what was and the uncertainty of what might be. Sartre and Heidegger remind us that meaning is not stumbled carelessly upon—it is created. It is carved from the fabric of our decisions, molded in the fire of presence, and etched into the very essence of who we choose to be.

So that means serenity and fulfillment won’t arrive by chance. That they are cultivated through our awareness and intentions. And through the understanding that our actions, our responses, and our attitudes are ours alone to control. That they are the only certainty we possess in a world of unpredictability. And not everything in this life is certain. Except death.

Our past lives are unchangeable. Holding onto the regrets only deepen wounds needing to heal. The future is wild, untamed, unknowable, uncertain. Defiantly never promised to anyone. And fearing the unknown will only suffocate the joy out of living.

So why let it?

 Where is the adventure in that?

And the irony is the unpredictability of life. That’s what makes life beautiful. All we have is now, this moment, this breath, this heartbeat. And that’s truthfully all we really own.

Each sunrise is an invitation—to let go, to release, to embrace. To strip ourselves of the burdens we no longer have or need to carry. To be able to breathe deeply into the possibilities of today. Because life isn’t simply meant to happen to us; we are meant to shape, create, engage, and pursue it with purpose.

The universe will challenge us, test us, toss obstacles in our paths. But we are not fragile flowers. We rise, we adapt and walk forward with the resilience and gratitude that we found on our journey to recovery and knowing that the present is our one undeniable truth. How we choose to pour ourselves into it—how we surrender to its beauty and fleeting magic—will determine not just our recovery, but the depth, meaning, and purpose of our lives.

And so, we move forward, trusting the process. Patiently. Boldly. With each step, lost dreams awaken. And new possibilities take flight.