Here I was thinking that there must be something terribly wrong with me because I'm not stressed out about all the chaos going on around me or even remotely put out with all the trash talk that reaches my ears from time to time when it occurred to me that I was finally experiencing serenity. It is not that I am immune to the things going on around me or even blind to them. The reality is that I don't care enough about it to let it bother me any more. I'm not sick or deranged. I'm merely at peace with myself. That makes all the difference in the world to me.

I was just telling my friend Elyce that I choose to remove myself to my Island of Serenity and refuse to let negative people have access to it. It's not because I'm avoiding reality. It's more like I'm choosing to take a healthier approach to life. I choose to remain positive.

Sometimes it gets a little lonely. But I'd rather be alone than with people who have no love to give. I can love myself and that matters more to me than anything else.