Yesterday my 4 year old daughter Dani burst into tears when a game of chase with our playful boxer ended with a scratch down the entire length of her forearm.  After a hug, ice, and wiping her tears I told her how sorry I was that she got hurt and how much I loved her.  From out in the kitchen her brother Ben chimed in "and I love you too, Dani!"  Her tears turned into a half-smile as we added "and daddy loves you, Rocky(our boxer) loves you, grandma loves you, grammy and pop-pop love you, your best friend Avery loves you, etc.  Just then Dani looked up at me and said "I Love Me too~I'm tough and I'll be OK!"  In a flash she was off to play dolls.  I was overjoyed as I absorbed the signifigance of what she had just said.  You see, in that moment her words reflected self-love and resilience, which is something that took me many years to achieve.

 

Studies show that we speak to ourselves 10,000 times a day and 80% is negative.  We're often self critcal,  focusing on the worse-case scenario saying things like "I don't deserve this." "Nothing ever works out for me." "I'm not good enough." (I admit I've heard these a time or two!) These self-sabotaging beliefs work against us, making it harder to achieve our goals and dreams. 

 

What do you say we stop being so hard on ourselves by showing some love and appreciation? If you're thinking "that sounds good" but wondering how to do it, you'll be pleased this issue offers a practical tool to help you get started. Print the "Affirmations for Success" worksheet to help "flip" your negative self-talk to positive, and enjoy the beautiful song in the "Voice of Truth Video" by Casting Crowns.