Be grateful to yourself. Give yourself a well-earned pat on your back. What did you do today that you can be glad about, or grateful to yourself for? Instead of picking on yourself, chalk one up for you.

Do this often. Then you won't need so much input from those around you.

Whom did you smile at today? Whom did you give a kindness to? What doors did you hold open for others? Whom did you give a minute to? Whose eyes did you look straight into? To whom did you say, "Thank you?” Whom did you greet today? Whom did you cross the street to say hello to?

These may seem like small acts, yet they mean a lot, and you can like yourself for them.

Bless someone today, and bless yourself.

Above all, get out of the habit of pointing out inadequacies, yours or others. Whatever you think about another, you compound. Whatever you think about yourself, you compound. If you have generally seen yourself as inept, start thinking about the wondrousness of you. The same for the people around you. Okay, they are not perfect. So what? They are still a gift to you, and they also have their wondrousness. This must be so because I made them, and I made them as I made you.

When you fault another or yourself, you are faulting Me. It's better all way around for you to see the Good God in Me. This advice is to your benefit, beloveds. If you gripe about Me, what are you doing? When you gripe about anyone, what are you doing? When you gripe about yourself, what are you doing?

There are some things not to be casual about.

You are a powerful force in the Universe. Be a powerful force that sweeps up the Universe in your arms and blesses it. I sweep you up in My arms and bless you and bless you and bless you. See with My eyes, and speak with My lips. What is there really for you to complain about, beloveds?

How quickly you are ready to think of something, or a list of somethings! To what avail? With every complaint you voice or think of, you are nailing yourself to the wall. You are hammering negativity into your head. Today, say not one word that is not worthy of being pinned to your lapel. Even if you cannot stop your thoughts so easily, you can stop your mouth. Stop your mouth, and your mind is more likely to follow.

Look, for every bit of negativity you extend, there is whiplash, and you get it. You may think you are throwing just criticism at someone else, but it hits you in the face. It hits you in your heart. It damages you. For how you deal with others, that is how you deal with yourself. The surface may seem otherwise. You may feel you put yourself in a high place, yet if you have to raise yourself by negating others, you have already lowered yourself.

Exonerate yourselves, beloveds. Enter your own Hall of Fame. In your own heart, wear the Crown of Good Will. Be My Ambassador of Love. Reveal to yourself and to the world what a human being can be. Be what I desire you to be. Be what you truly desire to be. Live in the image of Whom you were made. It is the Truth of you. Heretofore, you have been a dissembler. Now you become the Real Thing.

You don't want to be a lump of clay. You want to be a work of art. Why not? Why not accept yourself and accept others as I made them? Why not exalt yourself, not in words but in vision, and then in deed. Be good to yourself, and you will be good to all.