It's All Up To You

"Gather around, and let me tell you of a fantasy, an enchantment that only obeys your every wish. In a land many many miles east of nowhere lies a place that's so wonderful, so mysterious, so bewildering and so tempting, that to visit would be beyond your wildest dreams. It's not a place you can get to by a automobile or a train. For this land can be anything, or anywhere you want it to be. Wicked, lonely, full of sorrow, or wondrous, enchanting, or whatever you'd desire to fill it with. For only you and you alone will be responsible for what takes place in this realm, either disastrous or glorious. Within every day that your existence is present upon this earth you are constructing and building an empire that will name you King. Every step you take, every move you make, every glance you give and every word you speak will build your empire. Brick by brick, wall by wall, city by city. Do not fear this place or try to destroy it. Suicide could never eliminate it, for when your soul leaves this world, the world I speak of, follows. There's no escape. This place doesn't have to be a place that is dreaded, but if it is, you only have yourself to blame. Everything you've ever seen that looks and feels like something you'd want to hold close to your heart will be there, if you but live as you know you should. Mansions are being prepared to suit you and serve you. You won't be alone, unless you wish. Friends will be boundless. Friends, relatives, brothers, sisters, parents and yes, even your most hated enemies will be there. Treating you as you've treated them. So take heed as you travel this temporal world and take to heart what you've learned and what is dear to you. For when you leave this world, your memory will come with you, nothing else. Of course there will be things you'll want to take. Cars, trucks, houses, money. But those must be left at the gate. And of course there will be things within the gate that will be either better or worse, all depending upon you. So, go ahead, live as you will, do what you'll do, take advantage of what you can take hold of. Evil or wonderful, happy or sad. For before you came to this world you were given a gift so precious your ancestors died for it. Your free agency. So go ahead, look deep into your heart. Deeper still, until you find that place inside you that holds your soul. Look around. What do you see? All good, I hope. But even I know that no one is pure and clean and guiltless. Even I myself am at fault and guilty for what I see. Ashamed too, yes, very ashamed. You may not ever remember being told this life would be easy, but you were told it would be worth it, well worth your time. But time too is of the essence, for your time here is only but a fraction of what lies ahead of you. So ponder for a moment all of your past dealings in life. What you've seen, heard and experienced. Then ask yourself, what have I done with my life? If your soul looks pretty bad, well it doesn't have to stay that way. And if it looks pretty good, then don't destroy it. Some of you might be thinking, won't what makes me happy in this life make me happy in the next? No. That is not always so. There are so many choices we must make. How we choose is what's important. If stealing, lying, hating and destroying is what moves you, let it keep on moving you and see where it takes you. Certainly you can't be happy. But if you feel you are happy that way, stay that way. But I promise you that stealing, lying, hating and destroying will never bring true happiness. But only a cheerful mask over the face of the devil. Peace, love and happiness can never be obtained without an effort on everyone's part to make peace, show love and give happiness. These words not only should be engraved in our souls, but lived. Now, it may sound like I'm preaching a sermon, but hey, these are the true facts of life, there are no ways around them. So, live as you'll live, do as you'll do, take advantage of what you can get ahold of. But remember, it's all up to you..."