Giving Myself Credit

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for thee.
--George Herbert

Some of us have gone through life unconsciously expecting others to bring us happiness, to make our dreams come true, and to make us feel good about ourselves.
When nothing seems to be going well for us, we blame it on the lack of external support - we're not in a serious relationship, we don't like our job, we don't have the money to venture into our own business.
When we change our perspective - when we know and trust that we are responsible for our happiness, our dreams, and our feelings - we become empowered.
No longer is the burden on someone or something that is either unreliable or nonexistent.
We'd been giving this power to others; now it's time to take it back, to make and be responsible for our own choices, to value our opinions, and to respect our intellect.
Today I will give myself credit for all I am capable of, financially and otherwise.

Letting Go of Debt by Karen Casanova

The Ability To Be Happy

I hold within myself the ability to be happy.

I don't have to put expectations on others to make me feel loved or special.

I don't have to look for a new relationship to be happy.

I can find it within me.

When I try to be happy because of other people, it means they have the power to take my happiness away.

When I make myself happy, I'm the one in control of my emotions.

The only person who makes me feel a certain way is me.

Two Spiritual Directions

St. Bernard of Clairvaux said that the pilgrims on the spiritual journey face alternately in two directions: when we look at ourselves, we are saddened by our failings, when we look at God, we rejoice in his love.

Which will I chose today?

Resolve To Be Thyself

Resolve to be thyself; and know,
that he who finds himself, loses his misery.
--Matthew Arnold

I can honestly look at myself and see my strengths and weaknesses for what they are.
I don't have to put myself down today.
Best of all, I can accept myself.

Elder's Meditation -- Power Of Love

Oh my great Creator:
Help me this day to love myself.
I can't give away anything that I don't have myself.
If I am to love others, then I must love myself.
If I am to forgive others, then I am to forgive myself.
If I am to accept others as they are then I need to accept myself as I am.
If I am to not judge others, then I need to lighten up on myself.
Let me experience this power of love. . .

My Creator, today I will love myself so I can love my neighbor.

I will look at each person today and see Your light within them.

If I do this, I will hold my brothers and sisters without guilt.

Accepting One's Sins

"If one can accept one's sin,
one can live with it.
If one cannot accept it,
one has to suffer the inevitable consequences."

-- Carl Jung

I must come to accept my past acts before they will stop causing me pain.
I will no longer regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it.
Am I coming to accept myself?

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I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne'er a word said she;
But, Oh, the things I learned from her
When Sorrow walked with me!

-- Robert Browning Hamilton

I may think that forgetting the past is essential for growth and peace of mind.
It's a tempting idea: I'll start over again, I think, fresh and new.
But if I lose that old pain, I'll also lose all that I have learned.
I may repeat my mistakes, or make even worse ones next time.
Dwelling on the past is equally dangerous.
I began my journey to build a better life.
To find and maintain my balance, each area of my life needs attention.
With my remembering, I can truly experience the repentance that frees me from regret and remorse.
When I acknowledge my mistakes, I can learn from them and come to forgive myself.