Positive thoughts generate power,
negative ones waste it. 1


It is not difficult
to inject endless hours
of frustration
and stress into your life

For example . . .
Think of all the things you did
or failed to do in the past:
especially,
things which you cannot do anything about now.

Constantly remind yourself of them
and beat yourself up for them.

A good way to do this
is to keep whining about them.
If you can regularly complain to others,
it is even better!
Remember to sigh a lot, too.

There's nothing
like
constant verbal (and mental) repetition;
persistently dwelling on them
makes these past mistakes really stick.

Then, tell yourself
that you'll never be able
to adjust your behaviour
to prevent similar errors in future.
Learning from mistakes just never crossed your mind.
Remember, self-improvement is a myth.

This kind of thinking will start a vicious cycle.
Remembering how incapable, unlovable,
and foolish you are
will enable you
to continue repeating past mistakes.

The next part
is essential in order for
the entire self-loathing process to work.

In no time,
you'll be able
to whittle
your self-esteem
down
to such a degree
that you will have no problem
thinking you're absolutely incapable
of success and happiness.

This strategy is amazingly simple:
reinforce negative thoughts
and experiences,
and they will inevitably lead
to negative feelings and outcomes.

Remember, you are not special,
you are not unique;
the world simply doesn't need
another loser like you.


If you're doing everything right,
by this time,
you would have lost most of your friends,
alienated your family members,
lost your appetite for food and life,
and are looking forward to a lonely,
meaningless existence.

So, if you're ever bored,
and need to kill some time,
depress your spirit
and embrace failure
      as the controller of your life,
     try condemning yourself for past mistakes.

Have fun. 2

NOT!

~ Instead of condemning yourself . . .
. . . Don't bring yourself down.

Stop saying to yourself
"Boy was I stupid"
or "I’m a loser
and I think I’ll always be."
     If that is what’s going on in your mind . . .
    
 - stop it!
             If that is your internal dialog
             when you make a major boo-boo . . .
                    
 - change it!

The key is:
be kind to yourself.
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses
and accept your temporary failure.

Human beings are not perfect;
they will always be making mistakes.

If you reject yourself when you are messing up,
you are only being a fair-weather friend to yourself.
You wouldn’t like
to have a friend
who is good to you when you are rich
and disappears
when you are broke and in trouble.

But that’s exactly how you are to yourself
when you acknowledge your strengths and triumphs,
but you don’t accept your weaknesses and failures;
a fair-weather friend to yourself.


Don't let your mistakes alone define who you are.
Spend time to consider what your strengths
and good qualities are.

You are accountable for your actions,
your decisions,
your life;
no one else is,
     
but you. 3
Do Not Condemn Yourself For Past Mistakes
Move past your mistakes
and work only on the repeated mistakes
that are holding you back.

Never neglect your strengths and good qualities.

Smile and laugh at your blunders, errors,
past mistakes and faux pas
whether major or minor.

Don’t take life
(and yourself)
so seriously.

Watch out for the saboteur
-”I want to but I can’t" -
mentality inside of you.

You only have to accept the fact
that your visas are going to be stamped one day . . .
that you are not getting out of this beautiful world alive.

So you have to learn and savour every hour.
Truly experience every sweet moments of life.
Appreciate the fascinating journey you’re taking.

Winning or failing,
you win by just being here
on this wondrous planet.

Get off that self-blaming kick.

For goodness sake,
have you not heard of forgiveness? 4


Self-hate is exhausting.
With forgiveness
love is possible again.

C’mon, if you have a pulse you have a purpose.


Many of us spend our whole lives
running from feeling
with the mistaken belief
that you cannot bear the pain.

But you have already borne the pain.

What you have not done
is feel all you are beyond that pain. 5


We must celebrate, embrace,
and rejoice in our accomplishments.
It is within each one of us to rise to the occasion,
grapple with new knowledge,
learn from our mistakes,
and emerge from the cocoon:
     a metamorphic wonder. 6

Real, constructive mental power
lies in the creative thought
that shapes your destiny,
and your hour-by-hour mental conduct
produces power for change in your life.

Develop a train of thought on which to ride.
The nobility of your life
as well as your happiness
depends upon the direction
in which that train of thought is going. 7


Think excitement,
talk excitement;
act out excitement,
and you are bound to become an excited person.
Life will take on a new zest,
deeper interest and greater meaning.

You can think, talk and act yourself
into dullness or into monotony
or into unhappiness.

By the same process you can build up inspiration,
     excitement and surging depth of joy. 8


     To be creative
means to be in love with life.
     You can be creative
only if you love life enough
that you want to enhance its beauty,
you want to bring a little more music to it,
a little more poetry to it,
a little more dance to it. 9


There is a Light that shines beyond all things on earth,
beyond us all, beyond the heavens,
beyond the very highest heavens,
this is the Light
that shines in our heart. 10


No one need be common,
no life need be ordinary.
________________________
Credits:
[1] ~Innerspace
[2] -Condemning Yourself for Past Mistakes ~anon
[3] ~Catherine Pulsifer
[4] -Do Not Condemn Yourself For Past
Mistakes  ~Unknown
[5] ~Kahlil Gibran
[6] ~Heidi L. Mosher
[7] ~Laurence J. Peter
[8] ~Norman Vincent Peale
[9] ~Osho
[10] ~Chandoyga Upanishad

Contributed by Deborah Canivet
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