This is the magical trifecta — if you can manage to believe all three of these things together, at any point in time, you will have it made in the shade. For me, it’s often been a struggle to believe even one of these! And yet, these days, I am coming closer and closer to bringing all three into alignment with the way I think and feel. Real, of course, is the first step. I have to become willing to feel my true feelings, and accept them for what they are, instead of denying them, numbing them, or otherwise driving myself crazy trying to pretend otherwise. Inconvenient or uncomfortable as my real feelings may be, living outside this truth will always bring predictably more awful consequences. Which is where the whole comes in — being truthful with myself and others is what breaks down the sharp corners and jagged edges of my day-to-day life. Without all those dark, cobwebby corners I was always afraid to pull back and reveal, I can release myself from the bondage of self-consciousness and self-doubt — and certainly, of self-loathing and self-sabotage. For me, wholeness means health, uniting body, mind, and spirit to a place where they can function in harmony. Which brings me, of course, to happy. The hardest thing I have ever had to do, I think (and believe me, I am still trying to let go of my head long enough to do it) has been to live in the truth that I already have everything I need to be happy. No boyfriend, no riches, no popularity, no problem! Happiness is as close at hand as letting go of all my old beliefs about what I think I need — and allowing myself to feel the wonderful, peaceful truth of exactly where I am, today. ❤️‍🔥—Y.B.D.