You
are reading from the book Today's Gift.
Do we really know anybody? Who does not wear one face to hide another?
--Francis Marion
A woman in her fifties watched her mother in her eighties struggle
against the wrinkles in her face and neck, trying to hide them, pretend
they weren't there. She wanted her mother to accept that she was
getting older but found her unwilling to listen.
Haven't we all run into this situation? We can learn so much just by
remembering that what is right for one person may not be right for
another, and others are entitled to decide how they want to behave.
Often, we are just worried about ourselves, concerned, for instance,
with our own ability to age gracefully. We don't need someone else to
do it for us. We can take care of ourselves.
What do I worry about in another that I can take care of in myself?
You are reading from the book Touchstones.
For him who confesses, shams are over and realities have begun; he has
exteriorized his rottenness. If he has not actually got rid of it, he
at least no longer smears it over with a hypocritical show of virtue.
--William James
On the path we are following, confession is a frequent part of our
experience. We admit our powerlessness; we make a searching and
fearless moral inventory of ourselves and admit our wrongs; we make
amends to people we have harmed; and we continue with personal
inventory, promptly admitting our wrongs. With each of these Steps we
grow spiritually. By expressing on the outside what we privately know
inside, we feel relief and gain self-respect.
Sometimes we have harbored and protected a real rottenness inside that
needed to be exposed so we could change. Other times, what we felt was
rottenness turned out - under the light of confession - to be only a
human foible in need of airing. In either case, we grew stronger as we
drew closer to reality and gave up the show of virtue by admitting our
mistakes.
I will walk the path of recovery today by confessing my wrongs promptly.
You are reading from the book Each Day a New Beginning.
One is happy as a result of one's own efforts, once one knows the
necessary ingredients of happiness--simple tastes, a certain degree of
courage, self-denial to a point, love of work, and above all, a clear
conscience. Happiness is no vague dream, of that I now feel certain.
--George Sand
We are as happy as we make up our minds to be, so goes the saying. But
happiness is the result of right actions. We prepare for it daily. We
chart our course. Many of us have to first determine where we want to
go before we can decide on the chart. We have perhaps passively floated
along for years. But now the time is right to navigate, to move toward
a goal.
We may have fears about moving ahead. We can be courageous, however.
Strength is at hand, always, if we but ask for it. We can make a small
beginning today. And every day, we can do at least one thing we need to
do to bring us closer to our goal. Accomplishment, however small,
nurtures good feelings. Happiness is the byproduct.
Today is wide open. I will decide on a course of action and move ahead.
All around me help is available for the asking.
You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go.
Loving Ourselves Unconditionally
Love yourself into health and a good life of your own.
Love yourself into relationships that work for you and the other
person. Love yourself into peace, happiness, joy, success, and
contentment.
Love yourself into all that you always wanted. We can stop treating
ourselves the way others treated us, if they behaved in a less than
healthy, desirable way. If we have learned to see ourselves critically,
conditionally, and in a diminishing and punishing way, its time to
stop. Other people treated us that way, but its even worse to treat
ourselves that way now.
Loving ourselves may seem foreign, even foolish at times. People may
accuse us of being selfish. We don't have to believe them.
People who love themselves are truly able to love others and let others
love them. People who love themselves and hold themselves in high
esteem are those who give the most, contribute the most, and love the
most.
How do we love ourselves? By forcing it at first. By faking it if
necessary. By acting as if. By working as hard at loving and liking
ourselves as we have at not liking ourselves.
Explore what it means to love yourself.
Do things for yourself that reflect compassionate, nurturing, self love.
Embrace and love all of yourself - past, present, and future. Forgive
yourself quickly and as often as necessary. Encourage yourself. Tell
yourself good things about yourself.
If we think and believe negative ideas, get them out in the open
quickly and honestly, so we can replace those beliefs with better ones.
Pat yourself on the back when necessary. Discipline yourself when
necessary. Ask for help, for time; ask for what you need.
Sometimes, give yourself treats. Do not treat yourself like a pack
mule, always pushing and driving harder. Learn to be good to yourself.
Choose behaviors with preferable consequences--treating yourself
well
is one.
Learn to stop your pain, even when that means making difficult
decisions. Do not unnecessarily deprive yourself. Sometimes, give
yourself what you want, just because you want it.
Stop explaining and justifying yourself. When you make mistakes, let
them go. We learn, we grow, and we learn some more. And through it all,
we love ourselves.
We work at it, and then work at it some more. One day we'll wake up,
look in the mirror, and find that loving ourselves has become habitual.
Were now living with a person who gives and receives love, because that
person loves him or herself. Self-love will take hold and become a
guiding force in our life.
Today, I will work at loving myself. I will work as hard at loving
myself as I have at not liking myself. Help me let go of self-hate and
behaviors that reflect not liking myself. Help me replace those with
behaviors that reflect self-love. Today, God, help me hold myself in
high self esteem. Help me know Im lovable and capable of giving and
receiving love.
I celebrate myself today. I am alive. I am growing. I am willing to do
all I am able to do to be the best of who I am. --Ruth Fishel