Articles

On September 11th We Awakened.

Mesmerized, I look out the window. It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the leaves rustle in the wind. I smile, a true smile. I catch myself in this state realizing how long it's been since I fully smiled, completely content. It has been difficult to smile since September 11th. The pain, the fear, the shock, the uncertainties have caught us by surprise. I don't know about you, yet the moment I experienced what had happened I took in a deep breath. Do you remember how long that breath was for you? Take a few minutes now to remember what your thoughts were in those seconds. Who and what did you think about before the fear settled in? In that moment we all experienced complete clarity and hence awakening. Can life be the same again? What can we do beyond volunteering, donating and making business decisions to support the economy? How can we honor those lives that passed on?

As a psychotherapist, I have seen every patient react differently to the events of September 11th. Some are devastated by loss deal with stifling feelings of hopelessness and anger. Some touched by fear are reaffirming their commitments to their loved ones. Some are reluctantly revisiting the painful death of a loved one lost to them long ago, recognizing that loss is universal. All of us have experienced a sense of unity, which comes from the realization that we are all vulnerable and hence not alone. In a way a tragic event has given us an opportunity to question and gain a better clarity, a sense of enlightenment. So how do we hold on to this clarity if we have attained it or find it if it eludes us?

Start with what you felt in that moment when you awakened on September 11th. Remember who and what is important to you and cherish that. Remember what you would like to experience in life and do it. Come to terms with who you are, the positive and the negative. Life is precious.

I smile at myself for writing something so simple and something we all know, yet we often forget. We get caught up in the routine of every day life until something shocks us into awakening. Yet in order to transform the September 11th tragedy into a triumph, we need to live consciously, deliberately and with focus. Rethink, reevaluate and better yourself as an individual, as a family, as a community. Whether your way is through involvement in charitable work, or soul searching through spirituality, meditation or psychotherapy, explore your inner world and reconnect to your outside world in any way that will maintain your clarity and keep your heart open. And of course, do not forget to cherish the moments that you fully smile.

MagdaLena Agabs is a licensed psychotherapist and hypnotherapist. She specializes in life-cycle transitions, treating anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addictions. MagdaLena Agabs has been involved in studies in the field of inner development, Kabbalah, dream analysis, stress management, meditation and interfaith dialogue. She is certified by the world-reknown Dr. Brian Weiss as a regression therapist. She is in private practice in New York City and in Great Neck, Long Island. You may contact her at (212) 714-3937 or (516)-504-0283 or visit her web site www.therapeuticsourse.com