So now...... Who Has The Power?

You.....or your unpleasant memories of past failures.

These memories have effect of actually pulling us back into time and then causing us to have a distorted view of present.

We try to block out more unpleasant ones, but doesn't it just seem more we resist them stronger they become.

By giving our attention to these renegade self-defeating memories aren't we in reality, only amplifying and giving them more strength and a life they wouldn't ordinarily have.

As our minds get clouded over with re-plays of past events these memories rob from us spontaneous creativity, self confidence, and further distort our perception of what is happening now, which only serves to affect our ability to perform to our capabilities.

Is that what you really want?

So next time you go to do something, watch yourself and find out who has power in situation.....you..... or your self-defeating memory patterns.

Isn't it about time you took back power and started controlling your life!.

Simply refuse to give further animation to these memory patterns by re-focusing your attention on what is happening in present moment rather than on those past memories.

I made a conscious attempt to focus on my strengths: my talents, my experience and my knowledge. I didn't allow myself to indulge in negative thoughts. When I found myself musing about something less than "uplifting", I would redirect myself to something else. I gave myself no permission to have "pity parties."

I took to heart Thomas Carlyle's advice when he wrote, "Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what clearly lies at hand." I kept busy. I did what appeared to me as needing doing. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do or how I was going to do it. The future was uncertain and for first time in my life I didn't have a plan. Like AA program, I took one day at a time.

And each day I did what I could to clean up my messes, make things better, keep my focus forward instead of backward and keep faith.

It was my faith in Universal Spirit that helped me get through this winter of discontent. I believe that everyone has a unique purpose and I was determined to discover my own. God doesn't make junk.

One of biggest awareness' I had during these dark times was that I WAS NOT my feelings. I HAD feelings, but they were not me. I also realized that I had cared too much about opinions of others. I still care; I just don't let it run me like it used to.

Some people believe that if you feel good about yourself, you'll do great things. That may be true, but I also believe that if you do great things, you'll feel good about yourself--and then do even greater things.

Taking these steps consistently over a period of years has enabled me to rebuild my finances, establish a career I'm excited about, develop a loving and committed marriage and, most importantly, restore and improve upon my self esteem. I'm grateful for process.

Self-esteem is an upward or downward spiral. What you do affects way you feel. How you feel affects things you do. The things you do affect what you and others think of you, which in turn, affects how you feel about yourself.

You're either building yourself up or tearing yourself down. There is no status quo when it comes to your self-image.