Page 53 - Creeative Thinking

As important as it is not to lay blame, it is equally as important not to let yourself
become guilt ridden. Remember that unpleasant things happen to us for a reason. We
experience hardship so that we may learn the valuable lessons this life has in store us.
If you are the type of person that tends to wallow in guilt, try to remember that guilt is
one of the most destructive emotions known to the human race.

Keep in mind that you can not change the past, but you always have the power to
control your future. And the future starts right now. Nothing that happened in the
past matters anymore. The best you can hope for is to learn something from the trials
and tribulations you face in life and try to do better next time. Remember, if you really
want to do something all you have to do is believe you can and you will succeed. So it
is imperative that you believe in your self and, of course, that you think positive.

In order to learn from your mistakes and thereby change the future, it is absolutely
critical that you love yourself. This is not a hard task to accomplish, but, of all the
exercises in this Workbook, it is probably the one that takes the most time. You may
have to repeat the steps toward self-love over and over again. (I still do) And that is
perfectly fine, because nobody is keeping track. The important thing is not how long it
takes to learn to love yourself but that you DO.

Once you learn to love your self, you will be well on your way toward giving the gift of
forgiveness. Of all of the gifts we are able to share with one another, the gift of
forgiveness truly is the gift that keeps on giving.

The following statements are especially pertinent for those of you who want to forgive
your self. These are specific things to tell yourself over and over again until you believe
them.

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