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Courage to Change:

Most of us have spent far too much time feeling badly about who we are and what we have done. We may have been harshly criticized by others or we may have simply lost perspective and become overly hard on ourselves. Today we have an opportunity to stop that kind of self-destructive thinking. Isn’t it about time we allowed ourselves to feel good about ourselves?

It takes time for old doubts to fade and wounds to heal. Self-confidence comes slowly, but it grows with practice. We can begin by acknowledging that we do have positive qualities. For those of us who have negative, self-critical thoughts running through our heads all day long, we can make an extra effort to counteract them with positive thoughts. For every defect we identify, we can also try to name an asset. Some of us find it helpful to list five or ten things about our day that we have a right to feel good about before we go to sleep.

With practice, we learn to treat ourselves with gentleness and compassion. We all have many admirable qualities, and we owe it to ourselves to let them shine.

Today’s Reminder:

Today, I will make an effort to remember that I am a terrific human being.

“Ever’thing there is but lovin’ leaves a rust on yo’ soul.” – Langston Hughes

From the book “Courage to Change”. Copyright Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. 1992