Ten Ways To Love Ourselves

~ Day Five ~
Ten Ways To Love Ourselves

~ Dear Friends on our Journey ~

DAY ONE

~ ~ STOP ALL CRITICISM ~ ~

CRITICISM NEVER CHANGES A THING.
REFUSE TO CRITICIZE YOURSELF.
ACCEPT YOURSELF EXACTLY AS YOU ARE.
EVERYBODY CHANGES.
WHEN YOU CRITICIZE YOURSELF,
YOUR CHANGES ARE NEGATIVE.
WHEN YOU APPROVE OF YOURSELF,
YOUR CHANGES ARE POSITIVE

DAY TWO

~ ~ DON'T SCARE YOURSELF ~ ~

DON'T SCARE YOURSELF.
STOP TERRORIZING YOURSELF
WITH YOUR THOUGHTS.
IT'S A DREADFUL WAY TO LIVE!
FIND A MENTAL IMAGE THAT GIVES YOU PLEASURE
( MINE IS A WATERFALL),
AND IMMEDIATLEY SWITCH YOUR SCARY THOUGHT
TO A PLEASURABLE THOUGHT.

DAY THREE

~ ~ BE GENTLE AND KIND AND PATIENT ~ ~

BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF.
BE KIND TO YOURSELF.
BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF
AS YOU LEARN THE NEW WAYS OF THINKING.
TREAT YOURSELF AS YOU WOULD
SOMEONE YOU REALLY, REALLY LOVED.

DAY FOUR

~ ~ BE KIND TO YOUR MIND ~ ~

SELF HATRED IS ONLY HATING
YOUR OWN THOUGHTS.
DON'T HATE YOURSELF
FOR HAVING BAD THOUGHTS.
GENTLY CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS.

DAY FIVE

~ ~ PRAISE YOURSELF~ ~

CRITICISM BREAKS DOWN THE INNER SPIRIT.
PRAISE BUILDS IT UP.
PRAISE YOURSELF AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
TELL YOURSELF HOW WELL YOU ARE DOING
WITH EACH AND EVERY LITTLE THING.

This is the first time I've called you that. This is the way I'm beginning to feel about you. My name is Mari and I am a compulsive overeater and food addict. This is Day Five of a ten-day series in which our Journey to Recovery is about How to Love Ourselves. Today ... the fifth exercise is about praising ourselves.

I have had criticism heaped on me this week. It seems sometimes to be never ending. So many of us went through childhood being criticised and we have talked about that. What we haven't talked a lot about is how we "handle" criticism today. Now. As adults.

In a perfect world, there would not be "little" people. Pot stirrers. People with vendettas who try to make one's life miserable. But this is not a perfect world ... and we are not perfect people. So there is going to be criticism. Some of it is going to be constructive criticism. Some of it is going to be destructive criticism. The kind that nips a little of you away each time you hear it. The kind that breaks down the inner spirit.

We who want to love ourselves must praise ourselves. Often. Each and every day. We must touch ourselves and say "Gee, you have soft skin." We must look into our eyes and tell us that they are beautiful. We must listen to our voices and say "Thank you God for letting my voice be so soft and soothing. We must look at our bodies and say that we are grateful for all the good things we see about it. Look at our etchings in the palm of our hand and think what a miracle it is that God designed the palm of our hand so beautifully.

We must praise our good works. When we say something to others and they let us know that it helped them ... we must look into our minds and think what a good thing that was. We must look into our hearts and know how very good we are deep inside. We must wake up each morning abstinent and tell God that we are going to do our damnedness to stay that way all day .... but if we don't, we are going to praise ourselves for *wanting to.*

This is one of those times I tell you about in which my fingers are flying and I could "talk" with you all day. It is an important subject, isn't it? These things that we do to make ourselves love ourselves.

Stop Criticism, Don't Scare Ourselves, Be Gentle, Kind and Patient, Be Kind to our Mind ..... and Praise Ourselves.

We're getting there.

Beginning to love ourselves.

One day at a time.

Dear God,
Some days we
need to love ourselves
more than other days. Please
give us the tools to do that