MY DECLARATION OF SELF ESTEEM

I am me.

I am unique. There's not another human being in the whole world like me -- I have my very own fingerprints and I have my very own thoughts. I was not stamped out of a mold like a Coca-Cola top to be the duplicate of another.

I own all of me -- my body, and I can do with it what I choose; my mind, and all of its thoughts and ideas; my feelings, whether joyful or painful.

I own my ideals, my dreams, my hopes, my fantasies, my fears.

I reserve the right to think and feel differently from others and will grant to others their right to thoughts and feelings not identical with my own.

I own all my triumphs and successes. I own also all my failures and mistakes. I am the cause of what I do and am responsible for my own behavior. I will permit myself to be imperfect. When I make mistakes or fail, I will know that I am not the failure -- I am still O.K. -- and I will discard some parts of me that were unfitting and will try new ways.

I will laugh freely and loudly at myself -- a healthy self-affirmation.

I will have fun living inside my skin.

I will remember that the door to everybody's life needs this sigh:

Honor Thyself
I have value and worth.
I am me, and I am O.K.

(Adapted from Self Esteem by Virginia Satir)

BLESSING WE MAY NOT RECOGNIZE

1. If you own a Bible, you are abundantly blessed – about 1/3 of the world does not have access to one.
2. If you wake up each morning with more health than illness, you are blessed to rise and shine, to live and to serve in a new day.
3. If you have anyone in the planet, just one person that loves you and listens to you; count this as a blessing.
4. If you can freely attend a church meeting without fear, then you are more blessed than over 1/3 of the world.
5. If you have yearning in your heart to parent a child, you are blessed because you still desire what you can not see.
6. If you pray today or any day, you are blessed because you believe in God’s willingness to hear your prayer.
7. If you pray for someone else, you are blessed because you want to help others too.
8. If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes in your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep; all at the same time; you are rich in this world.
9. If you have a brother or sister in Christ that will pray with you and for you, you benefit from a spiritual unity, bond, and agreement, which the gates of hell cannot stand against.
10. If you have any earthly family that even halfway loves you and supports you, you are blessed beyond measure.
11. If you attend church with a church family that offers you one word of encouragement, you are blessed with some form of fellowship.
12. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, or some spare change in a dish, you are among the world’s wealthy.
13. If you can go to bed each night, knowing God loves you, you are blessed beyond measure.
14. If you try each day to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ for even a minute, you are blessed because you show a willingness to grow up in Him.
15. If you can read this message, you are more blessed than about 1/3 of the world who cannot read at all.
16. If you have never had to endure the hardship and agony of battle, imprisonment, or torture, you are blessed I indescribable measure.
17. If you a voice to sing His praises, a voice to witness God’s love, and a voice to share the gospel, you are blessed. About 1/3 of the world do not even know who the one true God is.
18. If you can hold someone’s hand, hug another person, touch someone on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.
19. If you can share a word encouragement with someone else, and do it with His love in your heart, you are blessed because you have learned how to give.
20. If you have the conviction to stand firm upon His Word and His promises, no matter what, you are blessed because you are learning patience, endurance and tenacity.
21. If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because most people can, but many will not.

THE BEAUTIFUL YOU

In an American history discussion group, the professor was trying to explain how, throughout history, the concept of "beauty" changes with time. "For example," he said, "take the 1921 Miss America. She stood five feet, one inch tall, weighed 108 pounds and sported a 30-inch bust, a 25-inch waist and 32-inch hips. How do you think she'd do in today's version of the contest?"

The class fell silent for a moment. Then one student piped up, "Not very well."

"Why is that?" asked the professor.

"For one thing," the student pointed out, "she'd be way too old."

Good point -- she would be way too old. But really, beauty is a peculiar thing, it changes with perspectives and means something different to everyone. The beauty that should be most noteable is authentic beauty.

Authentic beauty is something deep within -- the real you. It is the YOU that is being rediscovered with each new experience; the YOU that is so vividly reflected in those precious few who love us with all their heart.

For inside, you are more beautiful than you may ever know. It would be a waste to never realize that.

An elderly woman noticed that her granddaughter felt embarrassed by her freckles. "I love your freckles," she said, kneeling beside the girl and admiring her face.

"Not me," the child replied.

"Well, when I was a little girl I always wanted freckles," the grandmother said, tracing her finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are beautiful."

The girl looked up. "Really?"

"Of course," said her grandmother. "Why just name me one thing that's prettier than freckles."

The little girl peered into the old woman's smiling face. "Wrinkles," she answered softly.

She knew about beauty. Do not close your eyes to the beauty that exists within you

LIFE . . .

I'm afraid to look ahead
I don't know want to know what I will find
But lately I've been thinking
and a few things have come to mind

Where will I be tomorrow
when the sun begins to rise?
Where will I be in 20 years
when I look back and remember the time?

Life is just a passing thing
it was never meant to stay
We were all put here together
but could be taken back any day

Friends come and go
and relationships never last
But these are the good ol days
the ones that will fill our past

Don't let these days slip away
you'll never get them back
you were put here to live
and you're never going to last

So when it's all said and done
and your time on earth is through
Don't look back and have regrets
Be happy with everything you do.

NO PROBLEM!

Don't worry if you have problems! Which is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries.

If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. "I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful," a traveler observed. "Why is this?"

The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms - surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces." Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every living organism."

That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.

So, you have problems - no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"

STOPPED BY A BRICK

About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12-cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and -- WHUMP! -- it smashed into the Jag's shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. "That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"

"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry! I didn't know what else to do!" pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!"

Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he pointed around the parked car. "It's my brother, Mister," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.

Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12-cylinder Jaguar XKE -- a long and slow walk.

Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention.

Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life
coming at you.