Prosperity Attraction – you create your own reality

Is a grudge-laden heart sabotaging your success in business and in life?

Much has been written over the ages about the value of forgiveness. And yet so many people continue to resist the idea of forgiving their transgressors. Why is this?

I believe there are a couple of factors at play.

First, although people might want to forgive, they don’t want the culprit to “get off scot-free.”

Let’s examine this more closely. There are many misconceptions about forgiveness, so I would like to point out what forgiveness does NOT do. (We shall refer to the transgressor as X.)

~ Forgiveness does NOT condone the actions of your perpetrator X. ~

By forgiving X, you are not saying that what X did was okay. You’re just willing to quit stewing about it. Chances are, it wasn’t okay, but there’s not much you can do to change history. It happened, it’s over, get over it. Don’t let it ruin your peace of mind a moment longer.

~ Forgiveness does NOT diminish the severity of the transgression. ~

By forgiving X, you are not saying that the harm he caused you was of no consequence. Indeed, you may still be dealing with the negative results of his actions. But by being willing to forgive X, you are allowing yourself to quit wasting precious energy on anger and put it to good use building yourself up instead. You survived the transgression. Now it’s time for you to thrive.

~ Forgiveness does NOT absolve X of his guilt. ~

Even if you were willing to, you could not clear X’s conscience for him. He will have to appeal to a higher celestial court for absolution. That is between X and his conscience; it is not your affair.

So you see, forgiveness does not let the other guy off the hook. It lets YOU off the hook.

By refusing to forgive the other person, you are condemning yourself to being stuck. And this “being stuck” tends to infiltrate and poison every area of one’s life. It’s a bit like trying to drive your car with the brakes on.

Consider forgiveness as a gift you give to yourself.

Now let’s look at another nearly opposite reaction. Some people are quick to claim blanket forgiveness for everyone and everything, without even knowing what it is they are pardoning.

This is a fine gesture, but it is hardly effective. Why? Because you cannot forgive a transgression which has never been acknowledged.

You can’t just leapfrog over all the buried pain and expect relief. You must first acknowledge the harm that was done.

The acknowledgement consists of:

* Admitting the harmful nature of what was done to you.
* Feeling the pain that you’ve struggled unconsciously for years to keep down.
* Expressing the anger that accompanies these realizations (by writing, exercising, beating a pillow, wailing, thrashing about, etc.)
* Mourning your loss. (Sadness, unlike depression, is a healing force and it will pass.)
* Forgiving your transgressor.
* Experiencing a new vitality as you reclaim formerly disowned parts of your being.

Important: You don’t need to confront anyone or involve anyone else in this process. This is done in privacy and purely for your own release and relief.

Some people try to dismiss the need for this process by saying such things as, “Well, it doesn’t matter now. That was so long ago.” Or maybe, “Things were different back in the old country. None of that makes any difference anymore.”

When dealing with profound harm sustained in the past, we need to be aware of the inconsequential nature of distance and time. In other words, a serious emotional injury sustained long ago and maybe even far away does NOT just wither away into nothingness if you ignore it.

The damage is very real and it has serious ongoing repercussions if it is not squarely faced and dealt with. People fear that acknowledging great harm done will unleash hateful and violent acts. Quite the contrary. It is these “unconscious grudges” that we carry in our hearts that result in cruelty. Often this escapes our conscious awareness.

It is also these unacknowledged wounds, waiting like frightened children at the “Lost and Found” that result in depression.

It takes tremendous psychic energy to keep stuffing those strong, raw emotions down and keep them in check, especially when we’re not even aware of exactly what it is we are hiding from!

I would like to stress once again, suppressed pain and stifled anger will not go away just because you ignore them. They will dissipate only in the face of acknowledgement.

By following the steps outlined above, you will naturally arrive at a place where you are ready to exercise forgiveness. You will have reached a place where you are sick and tired of wasting mental and psychic energy on nursing painful grudges.

You will no longer wish to tolerate any nasty pangs of resentment. It will become unacceptable to send your thoughts into a mental sewer just so that you can keep your offender in his place.

An act of pardon will evolve naturally as we honor our true feelings. This does not mean that we have to go and broadcast what we find to the world. It simply means that we ourselves have to be willing to look at and see the Truth.

As a parting note, let us strive to remember that forgiveness is not a self-righteous act of virtue or altruism. It is not cause for arrogance or fanfare or a holier-than-thou attitude.

The decision to forgive is supremely practical and self-affirming. Self-affirmation is what people need most. And only we can do this for ourselves.

Likeness to eternal forms,

by proximity adulated,

freeing from bondage

are the responses.

Action,

body whole,

in relation to a higher soul

complete.

In final attempts,

coming together

two making complete,

intent coming through

as clear as breeze.

Distance relative,

at each point

yet coming together in finality,

constant in the creative force.

Progress, are initial attempts

holding,

in all areas

at a single point.

A VAST FIELD

A vast field,

contained;

singular in beginning

vast in finality.

Expression of different forms

origination from one;

two attempting to restore

that singular expression.

Within is the ability,

acknowledged and expressed

in love rooted

in long ago.

Contemplation remains,

as a resource ;

realization

remembered, for expression yields.

EARTH AND WATER

Earth,

water beneath

air a vehicle;

and fire an active force. warming.

Primary elements,

initial states,

virtue in air, sustenance in water,

stability of earth, eternity in fire.

Water flowing

ground gives,

the seeds take root,

the sun warming, in air are the hopes.

An alter restoring,

lives uniting

regenerating,

broken hopes.

The order of all things,

belongings attributed to primal intent

fire, water, earth and air;

importance dwelling. in a part vital to self.

EVOLUTION

Breaking down and building up,

friction from the heat;

accelerating;

ascending and descending.

Continual cycle

of change and permanence

sustaining and holding

at moments endured.

Blending of the elements;

creating new beginnings

strength prevailing

at surety of preponderance. of past actions

UNEQUALED

North south west and east;

distinct are the attributes;

properties revered

singular realities adulated.

And with intent,

is

Resource Box:

Michaela Sefler is an mystical poet living in Montreal, Canada. Her poetry is spiritual and esoteric and her poems allude to ancient ideals. In her poetry she draws on ancient writings, to convey a message of hope, and survival describing present realities in the light of ancient truths. She has six published compilations of poetry. Still true, A fortress in my heart, The sun is hot, Through the ages, and Seven stars., healing tree. http://msefler-inspiration.net

Teaches you how to forgive, step by step. Forgiveness allows you to upgrade how you feel about your past, and get on happily with your life.

The past cannot be undone. What you change is how you feel about it.

Make The Change Happen

How are you going to do it, my friend? You’re all done feeling wretched all the time, you know forgive does not mean forget, you are soooo ready, but you need a plan. Read on, my friend, and find out how to get the benefits of forgiveness for yourself. Right now.

Guilt and Hatred Are Killers

Ask any doctor. Stress is a killer. This is because your body and mind are a continuum. In other words, although they are not entirely the same, a great overlap exists that unites them. Relieve your mental stress and your body will be happier too. Nothing relieves mental stress like forgiveness. Guilt and hatred resolve nothing; they just sustain the negativity that continues to obstruct you from your goals. Forgiveness, on the other hand, undoes the stickiness that binds you to an unhappy past.

Does It Work?

Absolutely - for you. Since the forgiveness experience will happen only for you, only you will receive its benefits. Your forgiveness may not influence a change in the behavior of others one bit. But it’s not about them. It’s about you. Forgiveness is about generating your own healing. You are the only player in your life over whom you have all the power. It’s time to exercise your personal power, your right to choose to feel better about who you are, your right to process your past and move on with your life.

It’s a Private Thing

Since forgiving is all about you getting your own heart clear, it’s best done in the privacy of your own mind. Afterwards you’ll have the choice of telling others, if you like, but initially the process works best in solitude. Tell no one, just do the work. And watch how easy it is to feel better all day every day. Contrast this to the fact that all the pity parties in the world with your friends and relatives never made you feel better one bit. Those tactics don’t work because they don’t process emotions, they merely create a feedback loop that deepens the groove of the pain. Since you know that what you used to do didn’t work, it’s time to do what does.

Forgive in Steps

Like a pyramid, forgiveness may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s easily accomplished step by step. So begin by recognizing that there are three sections:

.forgiveness of others
.self-forgiveness
.receiving forgiveness from others

And these can be further broken down into nicely manageable chunks.

Forgiveness of Others

When you forgive others in categories, it proceeds more easily. For example, you could choose to use the categories of Strangers, Friends, Family, The People who Hurt You The Most, and Anybody Else. You may include additional categories like Exlovers, Neighbors, Coworkers, Employees, etc., and some forgivers need to add the category of Humanity Itself. And you can start with the categories you find easiest. Once you notice how good it feels to forgive, this will inspire you to forgive everyone as much as possible, as fully as you can.

Self Forgiveness

In this step, start with your earliest years and ascend: Newborn, three year old, five year old, ten year old, teenager, 20s, etc., and on up to your current age, forgiving yourself thoroughly for absolutely everything as you go. Once you get to your current age, forgive yourself for your whole life. Remember, all humans are flawed. No one is a perfect son or daughter, man or woman, husband or wife, student or teacher, worker or boss. You are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. Forgiveness is an optimal method to process your learnings.

Receiving Forgiveness from Others

In the privacy of your own mind, visualize then apologize to folks you’ve wronged, and let them accept your apology. It may surprise you to learn that others really want to forgive you. They do. So let them forgive you and receive the cleansing of that forgiveness. Afterwards, with some people, you may elect to actually apologize to them in person, but proceed carefully. There are a few folks in the world who can not accept apologies in real life, and this is why you process all of your apologies in your mind’s eye thoroughly first, so that you get the emotional benefit of having apologized whether those apologies get accepted in real life or not.

Forgive by Percentages in Repeated Attempts

Can you forgive the people who hurt you the most 10%? 20%? 80%? 99.9%? It’s not all or nothing. Ease on up to higher and higher percentages, always aiming for 100% forgiveness, but being real with yourself. If the people who hurt you the most are not 100% forgiveable on your first attempt, continue forgiving them bit by bit till you get as close to full forgiveness as possible. Start with a realistic percentage, then increase your forgiveness on subsequent attempts, always aiming for 100%. Just do your best.

Forgiving People Versus Events

It can be one thing to forgive individual people, and can yet be quite another thing to forgive the things those people did. What to do? Forgive the events and actions as they come to mind. As you think of instance after instance, forgive everyone involved as best you can for everything that happened.

Is There An Easier Way?

Yes, there is an easier way. “The Forgiveness Pyramid” CD takes you through all the steps in under an hour. Using emotive visualization, you’ll be able to have the full forgiveness experience privately, in your own time, in your own home. You are unique, and may find that some steps in the “Forgiveness Pyramid” require repeated listening for full relief. And full relief is what you want.

Much has been written about forgiveness. Everywhere you turn people are saying you have to forgive, yet few people likely understand the process of true forgiving. For true healing, forgiveness is essential. The same holds true for the idea of compassion. Yet I have learned that going from anger straight to compassion does not bring about true forgiveness. It only creates a sense of pseudo forgiveness. Many people try to go from hurt or anger straight to compassion.

It most often fails unless they fully understand the deeper process. In most cases the shortcut backfires or they have only repressed their anger. While you maintain an air of forgiveness, you may find yourself easily triggered when speaking of the original event, or you find yourself reacting emotionally when the issue is raised.

I have found that the following steps bring about lasting forgiveness when implemented and practiced on a daily basis. I’ve had many things to forgive, so I’ve had practice. I’ve noticed that it is easy to fall back into a trap of non-forgiveness and resentment unless you make it a daily habit to forgive. Why forgive? You forgive so that you can stop harming yourself through resentment and begin to move into a state of happiness and gratitude.

Stage 1- Admit You Are Angry!

Many of us will echo the thoughts “What? I’m not supposed to get angry! I’ve done all this healing work!” I’ve learned that it is harmful to get angry but it is more harmful to be angry and not admit it! The way to check if you are angry is to observe your inner dialogue about how you are relating to yourself and others. Are you finding yourself being negative, critical or frustrated? Do you find yourself being impatient with people and critical of how things are done? Are you constantly blaming others for your troubles, wishing that others would change? If so, then it is likely you are angry. Try to recognize what you are angry about. It may not be the little things, but something that happened months ago. Look back in time to what might have triggered your anger and where your expression has been blocked. Bitterness is anger with no outlet to be heard or feeling that you can not change anything. It is a form of helplessness. Try to discover what you are bitter about. Make a list of resentments. Don’t hold back or edit your thoughts. Being honest with yourself is the first step in healing anger.

Stage 2- Acknowledge the Loss and Consequences

In order to fully forgive, you need to look at the consequences of the event. By consequences, I do not mean just emotional pain. Look at the past and the present, and honestly note any changes. Were you physically injured? Were you emotionally hurt? Did you suffer financial loss? What other types of losses occurred? Was there harm to other relationships? To achieve lasting forgiveness it is important to acknowledge all the losses, otherwise forgiveness will have to be revisited. When listing the losses and consequences, try to look objectively at the incident without investing in the emotions around the losses at this time.

Stage 3 - Submit to a Feeling of Vulnerability

The next stage in forgiveness is to open your self up to change and dissonance. You can not spread butter when it is hard and cold. Forgiveness does not come easily when your ideas, thoughts of revenge or justice are hardened. You must retreat and re-examine your approach. Just like a pound of butter, if you want to forgive and heal, you need to let your ideas thaw and be molded into a new perspective, combined with other ideas and views. You need to admit that to harbor anger and resentments violates the laws of kindness and compassion both for yourself and other people. You must realize that in not forgiving, you are now betraying the person at whom you are angry. This is not an easy step. It can be painful to realize that it is you who needs to change, and that it is you who has the poison of anger and resentment. It is easy to build up a wall of justification around your thoughts, actions and feelings regarding the harm done to you. In order to heal and forgive, you need to break through the wall and tear it down completely!

This stage of forgiveness also requires you look at whether there was any responsibility on your part. In some cases there was none, in some cases, you may have taken action which contributed to the decision. In this case, it may be hard for you to admit that you caused part of your own suffering as it is easier to blame others than to take any responsibility. This stage requires an honest, fearless, kind and moral inventory of your own actions and behavior. Sometimes you may not like what you find, but facing your shadow can be one of the most powerful healing experiences. See if you can find some common ground.

Stage 4 – Stop Punishing

One of the common behaviors of people is to try to punish those who have harmed us. Most studies have shown that punishment rarely teaches anything other than to resent the person doing the punishing! Some of the ways you may punish are by withholding companionship, giving someone the silent treatment, or even giving compliments but then taking it back with an insult. You may try to go further with legal action, or you may try to damage things that the other person prizes. Another method of punishment is gossiping about the other person. In order to truly forgive, you need to give up the expectation that the other person will be punished. You can ask that the other person make amends for their harm, but if they refuse or are unable to make amends, then releasing them from the idea of punishment frees you from lingering resentment.

There is great wisdom in the following Buddhist teaching – “Should one person ignorantly do wrong, and another ignorantly becomes angry with him, who would be at fault? And who would be without fault?” It is far better to try to forgive, and reintegrate your friends back into community than to ostracize and alienate them through punishment. Try to practice compassion, work at developing a deeper understanding of how and why people behave. It seems that we prefer a simple explanation of things, yet you need to understand that human beings and the relationships between each other are complex. Understanding the ways of the world and the people in the world requires wisdom and self control. Use the opportunity to forgive as a means of growth!

Stage 5 – Identify Some Good in the Other Person

This step, finding some good in the other person is probably the most crucial step in bringing about lasting forgiveness. It can also be the hardest depending on the severity of the event you are trying to forgive.

According to Francis Bacon, the key to forgiveness is in “not expecting the other to change, to give love, to be kind and develop the ability to see that in everyone else’s eyes and heart there is some good.” In forgiving, you try not to think of yourself as being good and the other person bad. You can find it easier to forgive if you can understand that the other person has difficulties too, or was harmed in the past.

If you do not practice this step, then forgiveness will be futile because it will be done with a sense of contempt for the other person. If you can not find good in the other person, then at least pray for them. A wonderful technique for developing your vision of good in another is to imagine a seed of goodness in their heart, and in prayer imagine that both you and God are watering it to make it grow stronger. Better yet is to image that each person already has this great flower of goodness in them already. Admit that it has been obscured from your view because of your anger, resentment and justifications. Learn to look for the good. At first, like developing any skill, it is challenging. You will become better at it with practice!

Stage 6 – Develop Genuine Neutrality

Hopefully in the process of forgiveness you will come to resolve any negative emotions and thoughts about yourself and the other person or organization. To do so requires that you do not expect or demand any payment or restitution after forgiveness. You must assume that there is no debt owed to you. Mother Theresa once said “it is between God and myself, it was never between me and them anyway.” This must be practiced daily. It is easy to slip into anger and resentment if you do not cultivate a practice of neutrality. Depending on the severity of the event, you may choose to not have any further contact with the person, but if you meet them by chance, you want to have a sense of neutrality and a sense of calmness instead of avoidance.

Stage 7 – Stay in the Present

“Bury the hatchet” is a phrase you may have heard many times. There is wisdom to this phrase if you understand its original meaning. The phrase comes from spiritual traditions of North American Indians who would put all weapons out of site while smoking a peace pipe. For your own forgiveness work, you must keep the original wound out of sight, or out of present mind. It is necessary to acknowledge what happened, to not forget it, but also not drag it up again as a fresh wound. Resurrecting the event and bringing it up again with the person who harmed you will cause you to feel the associated feelings again. Balance your memory of the event with your memory of the forgiveness work you have done. Practice loving those you don’t feel warmth towards.

All of your forgiveness work can be undone, and the resentment rekindled if you begin to dwell on the event again. If you begin to rerun your mind’s movie of the harm, then you may find yourself in an angry and hurt state again. It is the nature of your mind to ruminate, and therefore you must develop self-discipline and remind yourself that you have completed forgiveness work around this issue. Thank your mind for the intrusive thought, and send it off into the far reaches of the universe! Refuse to bring the past into the present again, as it will re-trigger you back into hurt and anger. Continually rise above the injury! Practice compassion and unconditional love towards all people!

The Article Above is An Excerpt from
The Feeling Soul - A Roadmap to Healing and Living
By Mark Linden O’Meara
Available at Amazon.com

© Mark Linden O’Meara lives in Vancouver, where he loves to sing, write and teach.

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I have been going through a huge mind-shift in the last couple of months. I don’t knot if it is since the last full moon in March 2008, where a lot of spontaneous healing took place regarding inner child work, if it has to do with the Ph D in metaphysics that I am currently studying, or if it perhaps has to do with having won my local speech contest as part of my dream of becoming a motivational speaker… but the truth is that my mind has shifted from a place where self-doubt would eat away at my courage to do new things, to a place where I can command my thoughts and not pay attention to that debilitating fear whenever I am faced with a new challenge.

The other day my husband came home saying that they were going to rise petrol prices, yet again, and in quite a considerable amount. He then proceeded to go on to say how scientists now know that it is too late to avoid the melt down of the Poles, that all that can be done is to slow it down, that the sea levels will rise and that resources of the Earth will be all but run out within the next 50 years.

I heard him. I know the story, We all know the story.

Thank God we have a little car and at the moment it is not that expensive to fill it up. Yes, we do try to do our best to conserve energy. Yes, we are conscious of recycling, organic food, not wasting resources (especially water), and have only one child as our contribution to this overpopulated world.

If I had been my old self, automatically a feeling of fear and despair would have taken me over and it would have taken me quite a while to overcome it. I would maybe have even shed a few tears and would have had to sit down for a while in order to put myself together emotionally, or have a bath, or go for a walk, or meditate. My mind would have run far away into my daughter’s future and I would have felt so sad for what she might have to endure…

But my new mindset, newly-achieved thought control attitude, kicked in straight away and I told him:
“Yes, this is real. But I believe that we live in a holographic world and that really what you believe comes true. All you will ever have is the power of your thoughts to command in order to create the reality you want to experience. Start training your mind so that all what you have just mentioned may never have to be experienced by us”.

For the first time he stayed quiet. He did hear me and nodded. In the past, his law-and-finance mindset would simply look at the proof and nothing I could say would make him shift this perspective. However, as I said, there has been a lot of inner child healing since the last March full moon and he was ready, this time, to come along to the light and become light himself.

And so when I won the local speech contest in my Toastmasters club, I immediately visualized representing my club in the area contest. Usually, in the past, I would fear the event and would hope and wish to win this second series, especially because I am really focused on becoming a motivational speaker and this could be a great opportunity. Yet, this time, I turned my thinking around and said out loud “I am a winner”; that no matter whatever I do, I am right on track towards my life missions, whether it looks as winning or loosing, success or failure. That, at some level, I have attracted the necessary lesson for my growth.

That my words carry the intention of transmuting negativity into positive energy, therefore, whenever I have an opportunity to speak in public, I win. Dr Wayne W. Dyer says in The Power of Intention that “one individual who lives and vibrates to the energy of optimism and a willingness to be non-judgmental of others will counterbalance the negativity of 90,000 individuals who calibrate at the lower weakening levels”. So, in my mind, I am doing a great service beyond the material and social standards of success. Beyond fame and name, I am spiritually successful by counterbalancing or canceling out the energy of so many individuals who live in fear of scarcity and who believe that “you must take before someone else takes from you”. Just the mentality that is raiding the earth from its resources!?

Two days ago I received a call, out of the blue, from a magazine editor who wanted to offer me a job as a freelance writer and sub-editor. I was over the moon! It was my dream job.
But in the past I had written for this magazine and I had been warned this individual was not very trust-worthy. As it was, although originally the idea was that there were tight deadline requirements, they needed me desperately and I should start working straight away, a few days passed by and I wasn’t contacted about when and where to start such job.

In the past, I would have been a bundle of nerves. I would have despaired and would have been very angry at being let down or this individual not being very professional, or many other like judgments. However this time, I stated to the Universe that I am not that desperate for anything (that’s to say, I don’t have a need for this job, even if it is my dream job, a very powerful place to be!).

In the past, I would have been thinking about it all the time: what if scenarios, right and wrong discussions, the Universe is not being fair on me again self-pity statements, etc. We all do it! Very disempowering thoughts. However, this time, I stated to the Universe that I would not GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT! Literally! Since my energy is mine to give or not to give.

Firstly, I turned my old thinking on its head and I stated From now on, I only work with people with integrity.
Secondly, I thought that the Universe was giving me the present of letting me know that my writing is ready for the world, that somebody was prepared to pay me for my services as a writer and sub-editor, therefore I could see myself at this level.

Thirdly, I knew that if this opportunity had been aborted, it meant that at some level it was not in my best interest for spiritual growth, so I told myself that my guides had blocked it from reaching me and that something better was on its way to me. A lesson in acceptance of what it is, as it is. And a lesson in self-acceptance: I stated to myself that I will accept my creation, exactly as it is, even when I don’t understand it or when it doesn’t seem to be a positive one.

And so, one can see, that we are free to choose our thoughts and that our attitude shapes our destiny.

I command the energy of my thoughts is a statement or affirmation that I currently use and will continue to do so until my whole psychic has shifted into this new level of personal power and spiritual understanding. Maybe not very comforting for the ego… but truly very liberating!

Are you bombarded with negative thoughts, feelings of inadequacy, and maybe even shame about the past? How do you feel?

Stop! Just for a moment stop and catch yourself thinking. Yes, catch your thoughts, as it were. Do you hear negative chatter about what you perceive others are thinking about you? Is it a one-way conversation, or are you in agreement? Are the not-so-good perceptions interspersed with feel-good kind of thoughts about yourself?

It’s good and very therapeutic to take yourself to task like this every once in a while. How your own thoughts influence you has an awful lot to do with your physical, emotional and even spiritual well-being!

Maybe you’re the tragic victim of a troubled childhood, constantly or often rehearsing all the hurt you went through. The constant replay in your mind may have led you to believe that bad things happened because you must have been bad as a child. Consequently, having heard those messages over and over again, by now you may be convinced that you do not deserve happiness.

But, God does not see you as you may perceive others are seeing you and how you see yourself! As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed your hurt from you. Like a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear [show reverential awe towards]Him! In fact, He will even extend His righteousness unto your children’s children! (Psalm 103: 11-13; 17)

So you’re asking, what does all this have to do with health and nutrition? So much more than you may think! Your total well-being and physical health are all bound up together: mind, spirit and body.

You may be doing all the fitness exercises and taking all the vitamins in the world. However, if you allow past hurts, unforgiveness and offenses to control your life, you will continue to be bent over with the emotional baggage. Even though you may be smiling and gorgeous on the outside, the emotional strain will eventually take a toll on your physical health!

Take courage, my friend! All is not lost; there is hope! Negative thoughts will try to enforce a negative opinion of yourself and/or giving you perceived ‘permission’ to be negative and downhearted. However, those thoughts, or negative attitudes, can be broken! Once you recognize the kind of internal conversation you are regularly having with yourself, you can tell that ‘accuser’ to lay off! You now have uncovered the culprit and can make a decision not to associate with it any longer.

Choose to hang out with positive people and learn to find the good in both yourself and others. It may take a bit of practice and getting used to, especially if you’ve been in a rut for a long time.

God is not wrong when He says He loves you unconditionally! Allow Him to tell you how well you are loved. His Love will flow through you to others, and you will start feeling good all over.

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Ann Stewart is the author of “With Wings As Eagles,” It motivates, inspires and encourages others to stand victoriously in their trials. http://www.lifealteringwords.com/with-wings-as-eagles Her inspirational newsletter: http://www.lifealteringwords.com