Now, after you've taken walk or called that person, take a few moments to savor warm feelings of aliveness and accomplishment that you just created for yourself. Then, visualize a gold coin going into that piggy bank or writing $100 in positive column of your ledger. If you don't feel your imagination is developed enough yet to do this, or you want a stronger visual image, then write on an actual ledger sheet or get a real piggy bank.

Unlike retirement or other financial accounts, you should never plan to make withdrawals from your personal-trust account, only deposits. Someday your account will be so vast that you will be unstoppable. You will love and trust yourself so completely that it will be impossible for you to do anything that will cause you any harm. Unhealthy relationships and under-achievement will be relegated to your distant past.

Does this sound too simple to work? In my observation, happy and successful people do keep it pretty simple. They do what they can and ignore just about everything else. I bet some of most contented people on this Earth are spiritual beings that spend most of their time meditating and living simple lives.

I'm not saying you have to rid yourself of all your worldly possessions and live in a monastery to achieve inner peace. Just spend some quiet time alone thinking about how you can increase balance in your personal trust account and eliminate all those pesky withdrawals. Here are some tips for increasing your personal trust account

= Listen to your gut, your instincts. Don't sell yourself out. It's never worth it.

= When you notice you are being hard on yourself, stop and ask "What would I say if were talking to a good friend instead of myself?" Then replace negative spiel you were getting ready to launch on yourself with more friendly words.

= Remember all people who believe in you and know that you are a wonderful person. If you don't know any people like this, go find some!

Copyright 2004, Suzanne Solle