What is most the matter with you is that you think something is the matter with you. That is a trap you build, and you fall into it. Take a look at what is good with you, and see how you feel. When you feel discouraged, you have encouraged discouragement. You are the instigator of it. You may give testimony to the value of positive thinking, yet you throw punches at yourself. Do not even throw one punch. Be your own spokesperson to yourself. You are the one you have to dissuade from negative thinking, for you have excelled at it when it comes to you yourself.

You have even pounded yourself into the ground. God forbid that you should give yourself credit! You are like the elephant who was tied to the post. No longer is he tied. But he might as well be for it hasn't dawned on him that he is free.

In the past, certain frailties were pointed out to you. The outer voices may have stopped pointing them out to you, yet you continue the litany, checking off every possible flaw daily.

Beloved children, look at how far you have come. Start regarding yourself with loving eyes. Let that past go. You may have been fed false information in the first place. You don't have to accept it any longer. Tell yourself some new bedtime stories. Count up all the good about you and multiply it by a thousand. Beloveds, it is not, and I repeat it is not, a flaw to be a human being. You are not a flop. You are one of My greatest success stories. You rose from circumstance, and now you have surpassed circumstance.

What if you really are a success? What might you tell yourself then? It is not humble that you put yourself down as you have. You have made yourself a slave to unkind thoughts about yourself, and now you will free yourself.

Never again call yourself clumsy or stupid or anything at all. Proclaim yourself. Use a different vocabulary. How many nice things will you say about yourself today? You have a lot to congratulate yourself for, and I suggest you start. Sell yourself to yourself. Start telling yourself truer stories.

What did you do today that you deserve credit for? For one thing, you got up. You got out of bed, and you began your day. You drove through traffic. You reached work on time. You spent your whole day there. You represented your employer well, or you represented your own business well. You gave all you had to give. And then you drove home through traffic. You stopped at the store to pick up a few things. You said a nice word to the check-out person. You returned home. You did any number of things today, and you are to congratulate yourself. I congratulate you. Give yourself an idea of how you saved the day. At the least you got through it safe and sound. You are still here, aren't you?

You do not begin to know all the light you have added to today. Today you walked through the world, and you left your footsteps somewhere, and someone is walking in them now. Follow My footsteps, beloved. Bless the Earth right and left by your very presence. You are a guest to the world, and you have blessings to give. And now first bless yourself. Cheer yourself on. You ran a good race today, and I cheer you. Do as I do, beloveds. Do as I do.