Self-Love: using a childhood picture

Self-Love (Your Childhood Picture): Extreme Thought Makeover Day 6 Lesso

Strengthening our own self-love is the pathway to having more unconditional love to offer to others, and the first step is to begin to see ourselves as worthy and full of potential.

Today, find a picture of a child that you love at a young, tender, and precious age. It can be your own child, a friend’s child, a nephew, niece, neighbor, or a child you’ve never met. Now stare into the picture and think about what you wish for this child as they grow. Think about the worthiness you wish them to feel. Do it for as many children as you choose, as often as you like.

Hold on to that feeling. Next, find a picture of yourself at a young age that shows you in a state of happiness. Ideally, pick a favorite age or one of your all-time happiest moments. For many, a lot of these most joyful memories take place between the ages of 7 and 13.

Looking back, my most carefree age was 10. Carefree times, good friends, and tons of playfulness were characteristic of my general state of being. Certainly I didn’t take anything too seriously at that age. Today, my personality still naturally and intentionally carries with it much of that 10-year-old. And it comes out the most when I am truly happy.

Take that picture of you in your childhood and stare deeply into it. Ask yourself what you would wish for this child as they mature... the worthiness you would wish for them to feel as they grow. Imagine the possibilities, the potential... the whole universe opens up at their fingertips. State aloud that you would wish for them to follow their heart and find happiness and joy in everything that they do. Wish for them to find something that makes them come alive, because the world so needs people that have come alive.

Hold on to that feeling. Really let what you wish for that child sink in. Now, take a few moments to realize... that child is you! That beautiful child of unlimited possibilities still lives in you. Allow yourself to receive the wishes that you visualized earlier. Keep this picture in plain sight so that you can be reminded regularly of what you wish for you.

Allowing this good-natured, full-of-potential vision of yourself to penetrate your thinking will strengthen your self-love. And don’t forget... the more love you possess, the more you can give to others!

Dr. Rick Schaefer
Except from Extreme Thought Makeover: 37 Days to Maximum Life!nhttp;//www.37DaystoMaximumLife.com
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