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What was the scene like at your polling location? Was there a long line? Were campaign workers handing out pamphlets outside? Show us what you experienced by sharing your photos from your polling place with us.

You can share your photos with us in several ways. The first one is to navigate to witf's Facebook page and upload the photos to our wall. The second method is email the photos to colette_cope@witf.org. Lastly, if you upload your photo to instagram, use the hashtag #witf to let us know that we may use it on our website and share it with the witf community.

We'll add your photos to the slideshow below, and we'll be sure to give you credit for the photo.

As Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast, we'd like you to show us what you are seeing out there by sharing your photos of the storm. Once the storm dies down, we'd also appreciate seeing photos of the damage in your neighborhood to get a better scope of what it looks like in your community. (Please stay safe! Don't put yourself in harm's way to capture a shot.)

You can share your photos with us in two ways. The first one is to navigate to witf's Facebook page and upload the photos to our wall. The second method is email the photos to colette_cope@witf.org.

We'll create a slideshow of your photos in this entry once we start receiving them.

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HISTORY

Just arriving on Lititz's Main Street transports you to another world: The rows of homes and shops, some dating to the 1700s, provide an amazing historical backdrop. At the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery — a great place to start a visit to Lititz — guests can discover America's first commercial pretzel bakery, celebrating 150 years of business. On the hands-on tour, see the original ovens used when the factory opened, watch employees making pretzels by
hand and try it out for yourself.

Afterward, pass by the majestic Linden Hall, an all-girls boarding school ranked among the best in the country. The school was founded in 1746 by members of the Moravian Church — who also founded the town — and is touted as the oldest girls' boarding school in the nation. While you can't enter the school, much of the history of Lititz can be experienced at the Lititz Museum and the Johannes Mueller House. Displays include Native American artifacts, a historic Moravian home display and the Mary Oehme Gardens, complete with a water garden. More on the Moravians can be found at the Lititz Moravian Archives Museum, just off Main Street.

And speaking of which, a trip to Lititz isn't complete without visiting the historic Wilbur Chocolate store and Candy Americana Museum. It may be a short walk away from most of the shops, but the smell of the chocolate recipe perfected in 1884 will guide you there. Known especially for the classic Wilbur chocolate "buds," the museum boasts displays of antique candy-making gear, as well as Wilbur candy makers creating fresh treats, including fudge and chocolate-dipped marshmallows, as you watch.

SHOPPING

Probably the best part of shopping in Lititz is the variety — from the array of antique stores to upscale clothing boutiques to children’s shops. Most stores are in old converted homes: Think creaky hardwood floors, multiple small rooms and old-style glass storefronts.

Antique shops such as Moravian House Antiques and Country Treasures and Days Gone By Creations dot downtown, along with trendy women’s boutiques such as Spotted Owl, Tiger’s Eye and Clementine’s. Sink your teeth into Candyology, a sugar shack featuring treats from the past as well as the latest in sweets, or feel like a kid again in Teddy Bear Emporium, with a menagerie of toys, dolls and, of course, stuffed animals. For the gourmet, shops such as Zest carry specialty foods and culinary items, and A Tea Affair sells coffee and loose teas from around the world, which you can enjoy in its tea room.

Looking for that one-of-a-kind item? Haven Fine Handcrafted Gifts offers handmade jewelry, metal sculptures and cards; EcoLoco sells recycled items, such as handbags made from seatbelts or magazines, and fairly-traded goods including soup mixes and cookies; and Aaron’s Books has the charm of a small-town library, offering new and used books for sale, while providing the latest in digital reading as well. The town’s beauty is also reflected by the artists and galleries that call Lititz home: Pots by dePerrot, for example, carries stoneware, pottery and tile.

And that’s just to name a few. Nearly 60 businesses are along Main and Broad streets and their surrounding side streets alone — all of them with their own unique wares and owned and operated by people, who, like in many charming small towns, are happy to say hello and chat for a while.

STAY AND EAT

To truly get a feel of the town, you may want to stay a while — for a meal or even overnight. The Alden House Bed and Breakfast combines 1850s-era charisma with amenities such as rainfall showers, wall-mounted TVs and scratch-made quiche and crepes. Like the shops, the dining options in Lititz vary greatly — from a gourmet cup of coffee to a slice of pizza to more upscale fare. A favorite stop on Main Street is Café Chocolate. The menu includes savory soups and sandwiches as well as chocolate fondue, cakes and truffles — most of which is organic, fair-trade and all-natural, with produce from Lancaster County.

Although relatively new to Lititz — it opened in March 2010 — the Bulls Head Public House still holds a lot of history. Boasting traditional British pub food and plenty of beer choices, the restaurant’s sign originally belonged to a pub located just outside of Nottingham, UK, while the decorative mirrored back bar hails from England via the Commodore Hotel in New York City and a Staten Island speakeasy during the prohibition era. Right next door is the nearly 250-year-old General Sutter Inn, which combines elegant dining with 16 country- and Victorian- style rooms where guests can spend the night. The menu is more upscale, including grilled salmon and lobster-and- truffle “mac and cheese,” as well as from- scratch burgers and panini.

At Tomato Pie Café, you can get a glass of specialty iced tea from the old-fashioned soda fountain, or a hearty breakfast or lunch. The menu includes a take on the classic grilled-cheese sandwich for example, made with Muenster, Vermont cheddar and artichoke hearts on grilled sourdough bread, and also features tomato pie — something more similar to quiche, not pizza — the restaurant’s signature dish. After that, a taste of Italian ice or homemade ice cream, with flavors such as blueberry cheesecake or coconut, from Greco’s Italian Ices and Homemade Ice Cream hits the spot.

The perfect place to enjoy it? Outside at the Lititz Springs Park, right across the street. Picturesque with an old train caboose, duck pond and play area — and celebrating more than 200 years of history — the park, like Lititz itself, is a great destination any time of the year.

Photography by Noreen Livoti and Chris Knight

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.A healthy, doable life is about compromise. Every day requires some compromise for most people most of the time. You can't spend enough time at the gym, so you compromise by cutting it in half. You can't eat half a pound of candy without getting sick or gaining weight, so you settle for 4 pieces. You can't stay friends comfortably with people who never call first or even call back, so you send a card once a year, an email twice a year, and leave a phone message once or twice and enjoy the friends who stay in touch. You can't always get your spouse to do a lot of chores, so you do some you don't really feel thrilled about. You don't have enough money to travel first class, so you go economy. You choose between two cheap trips or one expensive one. Your spouse/partner wants the latter and you want the former, so you take one cheap trip alone or with a friend and one higher price trip together. Etc.

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.A healthy, doable life is about compromise. Every day requires some compromise for most people most of the time. You can't spend enough time at the gym, so you compromise by cutting it in half. You can't eat half a pound of candy without getting sick or gaining weight, so you settle for 4 pieces. You can't stay friends comfortably with people who never call first or even call back, so you send a card once a year, an email twice a year, and leave a phone message once or twice and enjoy the friends who stay in touch. You can't always get your spouse to do a lot of chores, so you do some you don't really feel thrilled about. You don't have enough money to travel first class, so you go economy. You choose between two cheap trips or one expensive one. Your spouse/partner wants the latter and you want the former, so you take one cheap trip alone or with a friend and one higher price trip together. Etc.

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.A healthy, doable life is about compromise. Every day requires some compromise for most people most of the time. You can't spend enough time at the gym, so you compromise by cutting it in half. You can't eat half a pound of candy without getting sick or gaining weight, so you settle for 4 pieces. You can't stay friends comfortably with people who never call first or even call back, so you send a card once a year, an email twice a year, and leave a phone message once or twice and enjoy the friends who stay in touch. You can't always get your spouse to do a lot of chores, so you do some you don't really feel thrilled about. You don't have enough money to travel first class, so you go economy. You choose between two cheap trips or one expensive one. Your spouse/partner wants the latter and you want the former, so you take one cheap trip alone or with a friend and one higher price trip together. Etc.

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.A healthy, doable life is about compromise. Every day requires some compromise for most people most of the time. You can't spend enough time at the gym, so you compromise by cutting it in half. You can't eat half a pound of candy without getting sick or gaining weight, so you settle for 4 pieces. You can't stay friends comfortably with people who never call first or even call back, so you send a card once a year, an email twice a year, and leave a phone message once or twice and enjoy the friends who stay in touch. You can't always get your spouse to do a lot of chores, so you do some you don't really feel thrilled about. You don't have enough money to travel first class, so you go economy. You choose between two cheap trips or one expensive one. Your spouse/partner wants the latter and you want the former, so you take one cheap trip alone or with a friend and one higher price trip together. Etc.

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.A healthy, doable life is about compromise. Every day requires some compromise for most people most of the time. You can't spend enough time at the gym, so you compromise by cutting it in half. You can't eat half a pound of candy without getting sick or gaining weight, so you settle for 4 pieces. You can't stay friends comfortably with people who never call first or even call back, so you send a card once a year, an email twice a year, and leave a phone message once or twice and enjoy the friends who stay in touch. You can't always get your spouse to do a lot of chores, so you do some you don't really feel thrilled about. You don't have enough money to travel first class, so you go economy. You choose between two cheap trips or one expensive one. Your spouse/partner wants the latter and you want the former, so you take one cheap trip alone or with a friend and one higher price trip together. Etc.

If you are someone who won't compromise easily, you're in for some major sacrifice and maybe relationship hard times. One young man I know never settles for anything but perfect housework, turning off his girlfriend so much that marriage may never happen. Another guy won't travel unless he can afford the very most high class, so he hardly goes anywhere. A woman requires a lot of attention from her family and friends, not settling for a reasonable amount, which leads them to avoiding her. I'm sure you get it.

So, as you go through your day noticing the things which you can only have halfway, be grateful that you have the sanity and consideration for yourself and your others to compromise.

Yet, I'm thinking of random acts of courage, just like we think of such acts of kindness. Quietly helping around the house or making love with a backache to make someone happy, spending retirement money on a child's education, traveling far out of the comfort zone to see a grandchild, letting go of a b loved spouse or a beloved child so that he/she can be happy with someone else or elsewhere, teaching in a ghetto, running a not-so-profitable business which improves the world, going back to work as a senior citizen, moving to a new community to support give someone else in the family an opportunity, taking in a foster child, adopting, having a baby, getting married, and you fill in the rest .

As a write this fragment, I see the overlap between courage and kindness and realize how huge these smaller acts of courage are, especially since, unlike the ones of dreams, they're common and real to everyday people. These aren't acts of being at the right place at the right time with ample adrenaline and instinct. They're everyday acts of courage we should celebrate.We try to picture what it would be like to engage in a courageous act? Like dreaming of saving babies from a burning plane, finding and reporting a notorious terrorist, rescuing a drowning person, negotiating peace in a dangerous war-torn country, fighting for what's right. The Walter Mitty dream of being heroic, a big-shot, important, admired and knowing we did something memorable to be proud of forever, leaving a legacy.

Yet, I'm thinking of random acts of courage, just like we think of such acts of kindness. Quietly helping around the house or making love with a backache to make someone happy, spending retirement money on a child's education, traveling far out of the comfort zone to see a grandchild, letting go of a b loved spouse or a beloved child so that he/she can be happy with someone else or elsewhere, teaching in a ghetto, running a not-so-profitable business which improves the world, going back to work as a senior citizen, moving to a new community to support give someone else in the family an opportunity, taking in a foster child, adopting, having a baby, getting married, and you fill in the rest .

As a write this fragment, I see the overlap between courage and kindness and realize how huge these smaller acts of courage are, especially since, unlike the ones of dreams, they're common and real to everyday people. These aren't acts of being at the right place at the right time with ample adrenaline and instinct. They're everyday acts of courage we should celebrate.

When emotions loom large, logic doesn't cut it. In fact, it's downright intimidating to express emotion and listen to someone give solutions, criticize or discount your feelings. Rather, the old technique of reflecting feelings or active listening helps you feel understood, acknowledged and accepted. It doesn't mean someone agrees but someone cares what you feel. Once you know that empathy is there, you can listen to logic, ideas or solutions, if necessary.

For example, the teenager is screaming at mom. Instead of defending herself, mom expresses the teen's right to disappointment, frustration and anger that things aren't going her way. The teen calms down. Or, the husband complains about the in-laws and the wife says that they are truly irritating to him, so he feels so validated and understood that he accepts their long visits better. The friend cries about her long lost love and the other friend sympathizes with comments about the understandable sadness, rather than reminding her what a jerk he was, and the crier finds herself buoyed up and braver.

Put yourself in the other's shoes, guess the feeling, express it in your own words, share. If you're wrong, no harm done because your effort will be appreciated and corrected. Conversation grows this way and the understood person is more likely to hear ideas and logic later. This process is so much more healing than outward correction, arguing, and problem-solving because someone is ready for it.

However, watch out for false guilt, like when you do something bad and keep doing it but say, "At least, I feel guilty." Self-righteous guilt,confessing your sins only to start over on the same path the next day, is meaningless. It serves as a rationalization to fool you into thinking you're OK, normal and have a right to feel better.

So, next time you feel guilty, listen to it. Make sure it's not just reverberating messages from your past about behavior for which there's no reason to feel guilty, like eating a normal treat which won't hurt you, taking a day off of exercise or a vacation, or not cleaning the house perfectly--things which won't hurt you or anyone. Weigh the consequences and morality of the behavior and commit to changing it if it is harmful, then make a new plan of action with checkpoints and possibly supervision from a family member, friend, or professional.Ever have someone tell you, "Don't feel guilty?" Well, why not? Guilt is healthy when it's real. Real guilt is the deep remorse you feel after you did something bad, mean, underhanded, sneaky, illegal, harmful to others or to yourself etc . Then, because you feel guilty enough, you don't do it again. You repair the situation. Sometimes, it builds up to a crescendo and it's too late to undo the damage by the time the guilt peaks. For example, the affair takes a life of its own and by the time you want to reverse the situation, there's no going back to a formerly-trusting relationship. Or, the overeating continues until health is irreparably damaged, so that even the new regime of diet and exercise, though very helpful, may not totally undo heart, endocrine or metabolic damage.But, other times, the guilt comes in time. You vowed not to shoplift ever again after one teenage dare and stay above board. The hurtful gossip stops and you only say good things about people. You scream at your family, feel guilty, and teach yourself to treat them with respect.

However, watch out for false guilt, like when you do something bad and keep doing it but say, "At least, I feel guilty." Self-righteous guilt,confessing your sins only to start over on the same path the next day, is meaningless. It serves as a rationalization to fool you into thinking you're OK, normal and have a right to feel better.

So, next time you feel guilty, listen to it. Make sure it's not just reverberating messages from your past about behavior for which there's no reason to feel guilty, like eating a normal treat which won't hurt you, taking a day off of exercise or a vacation, or not cleaning the house perfectly--things which won't hurt you or anyone. Weigh the consequences and morality of the behavior and commit to changing it if it is harmful, then make a new plan of action with checkpoints and possibly supervision from a family member, friend, or professional.Ever have someone tell you, "Don't feel guilty?" Well, why not? Guilt is healthy when it's real. Real guilt is the deep remorse you feel after you did something bad, mean, underhanded, sneaky, illegal, harmful to others or to yourself etc . Then, because you feel guilty enough, you don't do it again. You repair the situation. Sometimes, it builds up to a crescendo and it's too late to undo the damage by the time the guilt peaks. For example, the affair takes a life of its own and by the time you want to reverse the situation, there's no going back to a formerly-trusting relationship. Or, the overeating continues until health is irreparably damaged, so that even the new regime of diet and exercise, though very helpful, may not totally undo heart, endocrine or metabolic damage.But, other times, the guilt comes in time. You vowed not to shoplift ever again after one teenage dare and stay above board. The hurtful gossip stops and you only say good things about people. You scream at your family, feel guilty, and teach yourself to treat them with respect.

However, watch out for false guilt, like when you do something bad and keep doing it but say, "At least, I feel guilty." Self-righteous guilt,confessing your sins only to start over on the same path the next day, is meaningless. It serves as a rationalization to fool you into thinking you're OK, normal and have a right to feel better.

So, next time you feel guilty, listen to it. Make sure it's not just reverberating messages from your past about behavior for which there's no reason to feel guilty, like eating a normal treat which won't hurt you, taking a day off of exercise or a vacation, or not cleaning the house perfectly--things which won't hurt you or anyone. Weigh the consequences and morality of the behavior and commit to changing it if it is harmful, then make a new plan of action with checkpoints and possibly supervision from a family member, friend, or professional.Ever have someone tell you, "Don't feel guilty?" Well, why not? Guilt is healthy when it's real. Real guilt is the deep remorse you feel after you did something bad, mean, underhanded, sneaky, illegal, harmful to others or to yourself etc . Then, because you feel guilty enough, you don't do it again. You repair the situation. Sometimes, it builds up to a crescendo and it's too late to undo the damage by the time the guilt peaks. For example, the affair takes a life of its own and by the time you want to reverse the situation, there's no going back to a formerly-trusting relationship. Or, the overeating continues until health is irreparably damaged, so that even the new regime of diet and exercise, though very helpful, may not totally undo heart, endocrine or metabolic damage.But, other times, the guilt comes in time. You vowed not to shoplift ever again after one teenage dare and stay above board. The hurtful gossip stops and you only say good things about people. You scream at your family, feel guilty, and teach yourself to treat them with respect.

However, watch out for false guilt, like when you do something bad and keep doing it but say, "At least, I feel guilty." Self-righteous guilt,confessing your sins only to start over on the same path the next day, is meaningless. It serves as a rationalization to fool you into thinking you're OK, normal and have a right to feel better.

So, next time you feel guilty, listen to it. Make sure it's not just reverberating messages from your past about behavior for which there's no reason to feel guilty, like eating a normal treat which won't hurt you, taking a day off of exercise or a vacation, or not cleaning the house perfectly--things which won't hurt you or anyone. Weigh the consequences and morality of the behavior and commit to changing it if it is harmful, then make a new plan of action with checkpoints and possibly supervision from a family member, friend, or professional.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts and play them out or break out of them, defying stereotypes and seeking experiences which expand their relatities, and, therefore, their selves. Or, they can compromise.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.

Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts and play them out or break out of them, defying stereotypes and seeking experiences which expand their relatities, and, therefore, their selves. Or, they can compromise.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts and play them out or break out of them, defying stereotypes and seeking experiences which expand their relatities, and, therefore, their selves. Or, they can compromise.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts and play them out or break out of them, defying stereotypes and seeking experiences which expand their relatities, and, therefore, their selves. Or, they can compromise.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.Our life story emerges from the basic story of our families in the beginning--where they're from, what they name us, their hopes and expectations, their personalities. There's a basic script, such as "you will be stylish," "you will be educated," "family will be everything." It's not always positive. The bad scripts include substance abuse, poverty, other abuses, and some of the scripts say "you will be damaged," "you are inferior," or "you're not lucky." People can live up to their scripts and play them out or break out of them, defying stereotypes and seeking experiences which expand their relatities, and, therefore, their selves. Or, they can compromise.

For example, one child of a pious, large family grows up to be a religious and productive family man, while another becomes an irreverent, single partier. An only child of serious scientists grows up emotionally spoiled but ultimately responsible. One of ten siblings consciously chooses to have a small family.

Scripts aren't written in stone. They can be sculpted. It helps to be aware of them as we move along in this life.

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.Who are we really? When we sit quietly and peel off the layers of appearances, affectations, habits, intellectual skills, and outward emotions, what's left? Usually, young or old, sophisticated or superficial, we find some inner personal sense of self. Whether a spiritual connection with the world of others or just a memory that we have existed as a unique being since birth and will continue to do so, there's someone there. Our identity, both vulnerable and strong, is what saves us from mental extinction when life knocks us down. It's what makes us honest with others and helps them know and trust us as human, what is loveable and comprehensible within us. Some people refer to this inner being as "the child within."

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.

Who are we really? When we sit quietly and peel off the layers of appearances, affectations, habits, intellectual skills, and outward emotions, what's left? Usually, young or old, sophisticated or superficial, we find some inner personal sense of self. Whether a spiritual connection with the world of others or just a memory that we have existed as a unique being since birth and will continue to do so, there's someone there. Our identity, both vulnerable and strong, is what saves us from mental extinction when life knocks us down. It's what makes us honest with others and helps them know and trust us as human, what is loveable and comprehensible within us. Some people refer to this inner being as "the child within."

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.Who are we really? When we sit quietly and peel off the layers of appearances, affectations, habits, intellectual skills, and outward emotions, what's left? Usually, young or old, sophisticated or superficial, we find some inner personal sense of self. Whether a spiritual connection with the world of others or just a memory that we have existed as a unique being since birth and will continue to do so, there's someone there. Our identity, both vulnerable and strong, is what saves us from mental extinction when life knocks us down. It's what makes us honest with others and helps them know and trust us as human, what is loveable and comprehensible within us. Some people refer to this inner being as "the child within."

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.Who are we really? When we sit quietly and peel off the layers of appearances, affectations, habits, intellectual skills, and outward emotions, what's left? Usually, young or old, sophisticated or superficial, we find some inner personal sense of self. Whether a spiritual connection with the world of others or just a memory that we have existed as a unique being since birth and will continue to do so, there's someone there. Our identity, both vulnerable and strong, is what saves us from mental extinction when life knocks us down. It's what makes us honest with others and helps them know and trust us as human, what is loveable and comprehensible within us. Some people refer to this inner being as "the child within."

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.Who are we really? When we sit quietly and peel off the layers of appearances, affectations, habits, intellectual skills, and outward emotions, what's left? Usually, young or old, sophisticated or superficial, we find some inner personal sense of self. Whether a spiritual connection with the world of others or just a memory that we have existed as a unique being since birth and will continue to do so, there's someone there. Our identity, both vulnerable and strong, is what saves us from mental extinction when life knocks us down. It's what makes us honest with others and helps them know and trust us as human, what is loveable and comprehensible within us. Some people refer to this inner being as "the child within."

Get to know your real self. Don't fool yourself by the drama around you and how you participate in it. Don't fool yourself into believing you are just who you try to project to others you are, especially when you are trying to impress. Embrace your weaknesses, your faults, your failures, forgive yourself, care for yourself and make honest efforts to improve without fakery. Take pride in your strengths without elevating yourself above others. Don't be afraid to be average in some ways. Don't be afraid to fit in or to be different. You are not an image. You are a fellow human being and in need of the understanding of other human beings. But they can't understand you, if you don't.