NAME YOURSELF: You are valuable and vital to your world. People love and respect you in many different circles, because you are a well-rounded person. Look up origin of your name. Study your geneaology if that interests you. Your parents gave you your name for a good reason. Find out history of your name. Were you named for a relative or friend or a famous person? What an intriguing way to celebrate yourself and your history.

HONOR YOURSELF: Cultivate confidence in your personality,your skills (all of them) and your abilities. Take time to write about positive contributions you've made to your local, national and international community. Highlight your daily successes in your journal entries. Your self-esteem can always use building up, especially during busy or stressful times.

SHARE YOURSELF: Don't be afraid to stretch your comfort zone just a little bit. Take a new class. Go to a concert. Join a book club. Chat with a like-minded person in your local coffee shop. You may just find a new friend or at least an acquaintance along way.

Above all, don't underestimate how important you are! May your self-care skills grow and expand daily!

Keeping your journal private. That can mean setting boundaries with those in your home, it may mean hiding it, or locking it away. You will have to make an individual decision about what that means to you.

Re-read your journal or not. Rarely do I re-read my journals. Some people always read what they have written. Again it is a personal choice. Remember to use your journal for your benefit and well being, what ever that that means to you. Keeping a journal is a powerful tool that you can give to yourself everyday. Plus, this creates time for you every day.

Copyright Doreene Clement All Rights Reserved

Doreene Clement, a cancer victor and author of The 5 Year Journal, is currently writing a new book, Blessed, about her life and her cancer experience. For more information www.the5yearjournal.com 480.423.8095 Copyright 2005 OMDC, LLC All Rights Reserved