"Start Loving Yourself and Your Life"

1. Whose Life is This, Anyway?
It's time to define your own reality and create the life that will make you happy. This is your life. Create your own standard to measure your success. Many of us have been brainwashed into believing society's definition of success: lots of money, a high-powered job, a picture-perfect family, a big extravagant home and a beautiful body. This might work for some people, but all too often we are left feeling dissatisfied, restless and sad. We can't all squeeze ourselves into the same mold, and we shouldn't want to. Take some time to figure out what you really want out of life and then develop a strategy to achieve it. Now let's begin with a few basic premises.



2. You Are a Unique Human Being. You Matter.
No one else is more important, worthy, or special than you. Just because someone is richer, more famous, or more attractive does not make them more valuable than you are. There is goodness and love in you. Do not treat your own physical, emotional, and spiritual health as an afterthought. Make your own well-being a priority. You deserve all the bounty this world has to offer. You are worth it.


3. Erase Negative Programming.
Do away with all the old, negative messages you were given about yourself. If someone has told you that you are worthless, undeserving, dense or unattractive, that is their problem. No one has a right to judge you or belittle you. We are all struggling to get by in this world, and no one else has all the answers. Honor your own truth. In your own heart, you know who you are . . . don't let another take that power away from you. Love yourself. (JE)


4. Forgive Yourself . . . and Move On.
Okay . . . so maybe you did screw up on a few things, maybe even on most things. Some of us have to learn the hard way. There are really no failures or mistakes, just opportunities for growth. Usually something good does come out of our mistakes. So learn from them, don't repeat them, forgive yourself, and move on.


5. Make Amends.
If you've hurt someone else in the process of learning your life lessons, make it right. Reach out to them, and tell them you are sorry. Or just start being nice. You are accountable for your behavior. Own up to it.



6. Nurture Yourself.
Be good to yourself. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself. If you are hurting or sad or lonely, honor that. Make time for yourself. Let yourself heal. Don't expect so much of yourself. Life can be downright brutal. Let the love within you and others carry you through. In time, you will see how much you have learned. It is worth the journey.



7. Everything in Life Happens for a Reason.
Life is full of peaks and valleys. Even though they are more difficult, you learn more during the valleys or the challenging times. When you are in a valley, you might not see the value of it; but later, when you look back, you will realize that you have learned a great deal. Know that nothing you experience is an accident. Everything you experience and everyone you meet teaches you something or holds a lesson for you.



8. Know That When One Door Closes, Another Opens.
Change is good. This is how you grow. Eventually you will see that sometimes you have to lose something to gain something else. Even illness, death, and financial loss have a purpose. Did a tragedy bring you closer to your family and friends? Did the community reach out to you? Were you forced to switch gears? Faith is knowing that everything is okay and works out. You will grow stronger from all that you experience.


9. Trust Your Instincts.
All your life, you have been taught to invalidate your feelings. This is wrong. Your subconscious mind continually picks up and processes cues from your environment and from other people. This is valuable information that you should not disregard. Don't let people talk you into doing something that doesn't feel right to you. Trust your gut. If something doesn't feel right to you, then it probably isn't. And you don't have to justify how you feel. Just say, "No thank you," or "I'd rather not," or "I'm busy." Everyone else does not know more than you.



10. Being Alive Is Enough.
Just ask people who almost lost their lives and they will tell you that most of the stuff we fret over isn't that important. Being alive is a great gift. Don't define yourself in such narrow terms as your work, your body, your house, your kids, or your relationships. Learn to see what is precious around you each day. Do not take your good fortune for granted. Be thankful and humble. You do not have to justify your life with a big list of accomplishments. Try to experience just being alive.



11. Love Your Body.
It houses your spirit; it gets you what you need. Appreciate what your body can do and stop focusing on what it can't. No one else's body would be better for you. (Being thinner or better looking is not more valuable.) If you are not the most stunning person in town, then perhaps this makes you more approachable to others. Even if you have a physical disability, there is a reason for this. It is not to cause you suffering, rather it is an opportunity for you to grow or to understand or appreciate something in life. Perhaps this will be the vehicle through which you meet a kindred spirit or discover some hidden talent within you. Be at peace and trust that your soul is beautiful and so are you.

Star,
Thanks so much for posting this. Iread it this morning and found it so inspirational. I think the step I would work on the most is the instincts one. I tend to push away the little voice inside me that tells me to stay away from certain people. Its not that they get me to do things I shouldn't I just tend to be attracted towards men who are not good for me. I ignore the inner voice telling me they are not the one because of my own fears of commitment. This is one of the goals I have for this new year is to work on this!

It's a good thing when people can come to the realization that it's all about you. I learned to put myself first after living in an abusive relationship. And in any realtionships that I had I learned to expect the unexpected because people can sometimes flip a scrip on you.

When I give my heart I only give a piece of it so when the hurt comes I have something to mend back together again. I no longer walk with my head down but I look up and If I fall... I will land on my back... and if I can look up I will get up.

I am much wiser now with life's long experinces and wisdom comes with age. I am a stronger woman now and I wouldn't have it any other way. I am loving life and loving it to it's fullest but above all I love me!

Thank you........

It is so hard to be everything that everyone wants you to be...

I always try... I am a people pleaser... I try to please everyone... whether it is good for me or not.

I need to know, to figure out who I am and what I want...

I need some quiet time.

Alone time.

Windy time.

I need to find her...

I used to be so bright and sure and invincible... Now... I am like a fall leaf that has fallen from the tree... being blown here and there by the wind... No choice in my direction... just blindly following whoever has my attention at that given moment... I used to be such a leader... What happened to that person???? Where did that confident girl go? I lost her a long time ago... I wish I knew where to find her... I miss her...

I have a lot of issues right now... Health, Mental, Heart... Sometimes I feel like it is more than I can bear... but I know that I am a SURVIVOR and I will make it through... some way... some how

I just have to find my path again... I have to find that road that I am supposed to be on.

but again, Momma Star, thank you for your words... they seared straight through to the heart of me and made me THINK!!!!

Love you, lovely lady....

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"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies"

Proverbs 31; 10

No Problem...I pray for eveyones happiness here on ETJ. Life is too short to be unhappy. You must make each day count and one of the greatest gifts that God gave us is life and all God wants for us is to be happy. It is not God but Satan who causes confussion and rejoices in seeing us destroy ourselves. We must stay strong at all times in honoring God.

So be happy my ETJ members... cause trouble don't last always...Joy cometh in the morning

WOW what a completely USEFUL thread!!!!! Its sooo time for us to focus on positives instead of negatives....its so easy to see what we don't have. We need an ETJ gallery where we can put the profound hall of famers in!

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

Bump?

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Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Oh what a difference a year makes...

__________________


"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies"

Proverbs 31; 10

Again...............

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

yes

__________________
Likkle more.............

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

__________________


Always Striving to Embrace the Sacred Present .... Finding ~ Loving ~ Living
Lifting My Eyes to the Maker.

Thank You Lord for All the Friends You Have Blessed Me With... Please Shine Your Light Upon Them Always..... Amen

.

I matter dammit!!!!!

__________________
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller