You're Not The Boss Of Me

What exactly do you do for yourself when life seems to hand you more than you feel you are capable of handling? I, for one, have made bad choices in the past which include over eating and smoking. These are not very good coping skills and, in fact, often times add to your already over-burdened life by creating serious health problems. Many times I use my blogs as a way to center myself or, if I'm at a loss for words, I'll read other blogs to gain a different perspective. I also have a book which I got many years ago which helps me to regroup and remember what's really important in my life. The book is entitled "The Woman's Book of Confidence" by Sue Patton Thoele, which includes short meditations to help accept ourselves and learn to trust our own judgment. I keep the book nearby me in my office in case I need to grab a little inspiration or a hug, which I can get from reading some of the passages. One of my favorite mantras is "I deserve to be respectived. I respect myself. I expect and insist that others treat me with respect". I won't always get it (respect that is) from my boss or the world in general, but I remind myself that I deserve it as we all do. Another one is "I deserve to be cherished and appreciated". How many of us feel cherished and appreciated? Not many, I'm sure, but nevertheless, we all deserve that much. When I read this book, it also reminds me that I must be prepared to do the same for others if I expected all these things. If I don't, I can forgive myself for past mistakes and move on. I know one thing is for sure; I'm thankful to have something I can crawl into when the world seems a little too difficult to handle.