Overcome compulsion by facing failure head on with courage.
There are many disappointments while fighting to overcome compulsive behavior. You might even end up blaming God for your failure. Asking him questions like “Why is life so unfair?”, or “Why does He doesn’t seem to be listening to the prayers of those who are sincerely begging for help”?

In a world of competition, when you pray to God for your personal success, there are more people out there praying for your failure. It is the course of nature! So it is part of life and we all have to face it but how can we face it with courage and see failure as a learning rather than an label on our personality.

Failure is a viewpoint, a disparity between what one is capable of and what one has actually done. You see the lacking rather than the attempt. The glass is half empty.

In order not to suffer beatings from failure, set realistic goals. Small goals can give a boast to your dignity. Even a small success is a big one if you cherish it.

There are times you still fall off the track, do not quit, but be sympathetic to yourself. Allow yourself to fail; it is an acceptable part of learning. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Focus on the goal, not the failure. Examine what caused you to fail and come up with ideas to prevent it from happening again. Beating yourself up with guilt will just be inflict useless self-punishment. There is no way you can go back in time, so keep moving! Feel regret, then build the desire to change. Feel bad about the decision, then make a decision and move on to your goals. Thomas Edison, did not simply come to a point of thinking that tungsten would be the perfect filament for the incandescent bulb. Success came after nearly a thousand attempts, or 999 failures. Sylvester Stallone, was denied when he requested support from Warner Brothers on his first Rambo. He loaned some funds and produced it by himself. The result? Five movies and endless Rambo repeats on every channel. TV for Real Men. Sheer determination accompanies success.

If you fail, encourage yourself. Think of the things that you have accomplished.

Blowing is part of the process of learning how to do it correctly. You are not a failure. You have come so far and accomplished so much! Bear in mind that their is never a wrong decision. It is by failure that you come to know what is right. Life is like singing Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way”. The song is never wrong, just a bit out of tune. A planet slightly deviated from orbit. With extra effort, you will be back on track.

Fight those feelings of worthlessness. Consider God’s love for you. Feel the forgiveness of a Father’s love. Forgive yourself. Apologize to God for being so miserable and not asking for His help. Thank Him for your failures and the chance to learn.

Rebuild your desire to try again. Look at all the benefits. Come on, you can do it! When you are faced with a seemingly horrendous obstacle, consider them as a challenge. Challenges build paths to a sweet victory. The fulfillment brought about by winning a contest against a hundred participants is great but cannot be paralleled by winning ……

Compulsive behavior can be overcome through commitment. Health can be achieved through commitment.

Commitment

When love fades, it is commitment that holds a marriage together. Commitment holds the marathoner to that last mile. Commitment draws on strength that we never knew we had. The apostle Paul says to commit our lives to God, to set it apart for His purpose. Commitment challenges us to do our best. It challenges us to be patient and to be persistent. It challenges us to ignore our feelings and to press on. Dedication to God is sealed with commitment. Make your diet a commitment to God.

A Statement of Commitment to God

“I make the commitment to turn my diet over to You, Lord. I will eat my food thankfully for what You have done. All this delicious, nourishing food is from You. I will take my time to relish every part of the blessing, from preparation to doing the dishes. I have a lot to be thankful for. I will try to eat the right amounts and enjoy each bite. This is my heart’s desire. I have been a slave to food and have battled with compulsive eating. Fear and insecurity arise when I feel hungry. Yet, I need to face it head on, knowing that You are with me. Eating natural foods is the healthiest diet for me. I want to feel the way You intended me to feel. I know that this is Your desire for me. You have designed fruits, vegetables, seeds and grains for the health of my body, so I want to eat the way You intended me to eat. I give my diet to You as a gift. I am denying myself, so that You may have more of me. Instead of food, I will rely on You for my peace, my joy and my pleasure. This is my commitment to You.”

The program to reduce compulsive eating is effective as it gets to the root of compulsive behavior, distorted negative thinking.

Preparing for Failure

Expect your resolve to be challenged by emotional ups and downs. Temptation, getting depressed, becoming frustrated or disinterested can knock you off the path. If you are prepared in advance for the fight, you will be able to get back on the path as quickly as possible.

Prepare for failure by learning visualization skills, self-encouragement, and creative relaxation, avoiding ‘should’ statements, making resolute decisions and reaffirming your commitments. With these skills you will escape the failure cycle. When you do, life will be a lot more fun. The little things won’t bother you so much. You will take the ups and downs of life in stride. You may stumble, but you won’t fall.

Overcoming the Failure Effect

So you blew it. If you accomplish only a few of these steps, you will start to feel better. Discouragement due to failure is hard to fight; you will want to give up. So just try as best you can. If you can get started, your emotions will come in line and it will get easier. You will win over donuts, joints, cigarettes, beer, burgers and coffee. It is a matter of using the skills. Make it a brain workout. Get focused, get determined, pump your lungs with oxygen, and say it with determination. Do five sets of “I am not a failure.” Do six sets of “I don’t have to be perfect. I can make mistakes.” Do 12 reps of “I have nothing to prove to this world.” Put energy behind the message; it has to get all the way to the heart.

Here are steps to break you from the habit of feeling like a failure:

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 1: Put the emphasis on what you have accomplished.
“I have done really well so far on my diet. I am becoming better disciplined. This is just a minor setback. I can overcome this.” Let it build as a feeling. This is the hardest part because guilt causes tunnel vision.

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 2: Get rid of guilt.
“I can make mistakes. I don’t have to be perfect.” This only proves that you are human.

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 3: See the failure as a bad decision.
“It would have been better if I had not____________.” Regret blowing your diet. Feel bad about the decision. Let the feeling build. This is not guilt; this is the desire to change. See what you have lost by choosing to indulge. Let your sadness build your desire to get back on track.

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 4: Get angry.
You are not going to be pushed around. This is it. You’ve had enough. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Get storming mad at what tempted you.

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 5: Visualize the two pictures in your mind: you are blowing it and feeling bad.
Let it build as a feeling of regret. Then visualize you being successful and feeling good about it. Visualize what you wished you had done. Visualize you are doing the right thing and feeling good about it. Let it build as a desire.

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 6: Think of all the reasons why you do not want to eat.
For example: Donuts are full of fat, white flour, salt, sugar and food additives. They just taste good and that is it. Let it build as a feeling of determination that you will not eat them any more

Compulsive Behavior Program Step 7: Why do you want to eat nutritiously? Remind yourself of those reasons. It is your heart’s desire to eat healthy, so you can enjoy a vibrant life. Let it build as a feeling of desire.

Biblical Perspective

You are forgiven by God. You have forgiven yourself. Refuse to be down. It is in the past. Time to get on with life. Shake yourself up. Create good emotions: “I feel joy. I feel peace. I feel love.” You are a fighter, not a quitter.

Negative decisions are the root of compulsive behavior. Healthy decisions reduce compulsive behavior.

If you were on a diet and you ate a banana split, you made a decision. You thought about it, weighed the good and the bad, then chose to eat ice cream. Your desire for fudge syrup, whipped cream and pineapple topping was stronger than your desire to stay on a diet, so you made a decision.

After the decision, you instantly blasted yourself with “I shouldn’t have done that.” If water flows down a predictable course, why should it flow down another? If you have a pattern of blowing your diet by eating ice cream, that pattern will continue until you change it, so how can you say you should not have eaten the ice cream? Your predictable behavior is to eat ice cream.

If you choose to eat ice cream, enjoy it. Make the best of the decisions you make. It wasn’t the best decision, but you don’t have to be perfect or make perfect decisions. Every decision requires you to weigh the good against the bad; otherwise, it would not be a decision.

Blowing a diet by eating ice cream does not make you a failure. Who said that you shouldn’t fail? Was it your parents? Society? Your peers? How can they expect you to meet a standard that they themselves can’t keep? We all fail as humans; it is a part of life. When you are disciplining yourself, you will fail. And that is acceptable. It is OK to fail.
Guilt and the feeling of failure focus on the loss. We need to be focused on the challenge. No one would be reading this book if it were easy to stay on a diet program. So let’s get realistic. You are not a failure. You made poor choices. Although you may know that, the is inevitable and you need to be ready to face it with courage. feeling of failure

No Good “Should”

Get rid of the word should. Should looks back. There could be a million things that we should have done, but we can’t linger in the past; we are moving on to the future where we make the best of what we have and go on.

Instead of saying I shouldn’t have eaten that, say:

“It would have been healthier if I had not eaten the __________.”

“The best choice was not to eat the __________.”

“The most disciplined choice would have been not to eat the __________.”

“I would have felt better if I had not eaten the __________.”

“Should” statements punish.
Punishment causes resentment.

Positive statements focus on the reward.
Rewards motivate.

Intense feelings of failure and guilt intensify compulsive behavior. To stop compulsive behavior, you need to stop excessive feelings of guilt and failure.

When Edison was criticized for his many failures at making a light bulb, he replied that he had found thousands of ways on how not to make a light bulb. It wasn’t the one success that created the light bulb, but the thousands of failures it took to discover what didn’t work. Every success is achieved by learning from failure.

You will fail. It is part of life. It is inevitable. Are you ready to face failure? Ready to face it not once, but several times? Are you ready to pick yourself up and go on with the battle? Most don’t; they give up when they are at the closest point to success. But everything worthwhile takes time, investment and facing failure. Nothing worth gaining is gained without facing failure. Failure is a doorway. You need to be ready to go through it.
Failure is devastating if you have low self-worth. Parental criticism drove home demeaning messages: “you idiot, you blew it again.” Feeling like a failure, we engage in self-flagellation, beating ourselves up and making endless apologies. We become focused on not failing instead of achieving.

Fear of failure is a terrible motivator. Instead, it will cause failure. When we do fail, it proves to us that we are a failure and we believe it even more. But you are not a failure. Every human makes mistakes. Why should you be any different? Making mistakes proves that you’re not perfect. We learn by our mistakes. They are a part of life.

Guilt Increases Compulsive Behavior

Guilt is anger directed inward, like a shotgun blasting pellets of blame at every part of our character. It screams, “you’re always blowing it.” It reminds you of all your other failures. You beat yourself up because you failed to meet some unrealistic expectation of yourself in a desperate attempt to regain control.

On the other hand, remorse or regret is good. It is good to feel badly about what we have done, see it as wrong, and want to change. Guilt ruins self-worth, but regret leads to change and growth. Guilt reinforces your belief that you are a “bad” person. Regret focuses on the behavior.

Guilt has a powerful effect on our thinking and emotions. When we feel guilty, we become sensitive and defensive. We close off to stop being hurt more. But although we have withdrawn, we have not changed. So guilt is really a cover-up because we never get to the point of feeling bad about what we did and taking responsibility. Guilt allows us to stay the same.

Regret works. Regret a bad choice. See it as a mistake. Become intent never to make that mistake again. You are not a failure because you made a mistake. You have made many good choices in your life. This wasn’t one of them. Feel bad for a few minutes because of the benefits you lost. Grieve the loss quickly, refocus on your goals then move on. Getting enthused about your goals is infinitely more effective than beating yourself up with guilt. The past is the past, but our future is bright in Christ.

Biblical Perspective

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.
Philippians 3:13

Peace and contentment are the key to reducing compulsion.

Do you feel good about what you have accomplished? If you are like most of us, the flaws seem gigantic and the accomplishments seem tiny. After a success we think, That’s no big deal, anyone could have done it. We never stop to allow ourselves to feel good about our accomplishments. Even in success, we choose to look at the flaws and beat ourselves up because we are not meeting some impossible standard. But self-criticism destroys motivation. Self-criticism destroys the desire to achieve. We feel hurt and become resentful toward ourselves.

When we don’t feel good about what we are doing, we get discouraged and frustrated. On the other hand, feeling good about what we are doing gets us enthused, excited and motivated.

Feel good about the tiniest of accomplishments. Take the time to enjoy the feeling of completing a task, sticking to a diet by making a healthy meal, exercising or just waking up early. Let the emotion of accomplishment build and be thankful to God. Sense the peace. Sense the feeling of well being. Allow yourself to feel good about doing the right thing. Do not tear down your accomplishments or compare yourself to others. Take the time in each day to consider your accomplishments. Instead of looking at the flaws, dwell on the feeling of satisfaction. You deserve to feel really good. You have done well.
Very few people care about your accomplishments, but God does. God cares about everything you do. He wants you to be healthy, happy and full of joy. He wants you to feel good about yourself and your accomplishments. Feeling good about what you have done is the reward for your hard work, so enjoy it. It is not being selfish.

Each one should test their own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.
Galatians 6:4

Being Filled with Joy and Peace

Even in the midst of misery and unhappiness you can create the emotion of joy. You can choose to be happy. Make a decision to enjoy the moment. Stop reading for a moment and create the emotion of joy. Loosen up, wave your hands around, dance, smile, shout, “yeah!” Sing a happy song. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart.” See yourself dancing, laughing swirling in the sun, you’re so happy. Let the emotion build within you, happiness and thankfulness bursting from your heart. Become flooded with a warm feeling of peace. Take a deep breath. As you breathe out, all the tension is going. You feel nothing but peace and joy.

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again–rejoice!
Philippians 4:4 (NLT)

Be Content with Eating Less

Here’s a way to stop overeating. At the point where you feel that you should stop eating, stop and feel content. Become aware of how full you are. Let the feeling of contentment build while being aware of feeling full. Ask yourself, do you really want to eat more? Now start to clean up or brush your teeth.

f you are still struggling with wanting to eat more, create the feeling of revulsion to eating more, then return to creating the feeling of contentment. It is rare that you will have to do this more than once. It is easy, simple and fast. Once the compulsive desire is gone, get active to keep your mind busy.

Being at Peace

Worry builds fear by imagining the worst. Yet worry changes nothing. It destroys our peace and makes us feel powerless. Worriers have the most problems and the hardest time solving them. Problem solvers refuse to worry; they get down to what they can do, and then do it. Everything seems to work out for them. They have tolerance, motivation and are generally happy.

If you examine your state of mind during a refrigerator hunt, you will realize that fear and worry are often the motivation to eat. We eat to feel good about life. Worry and fear make us feel out of control, and eating gives us a sense of being in control. Eating becomes an escape from the dark world of our thoughts. However, using food as an escape abuses our body and leaves us feeling powerless.

Refuse to worry. Get the problem down on paper. Examine the worst possible situation and what you can do about it. Once you have made your decision, stop worrying and start thinking healthy, encouraging thoughts. If the desire to worry surfaces, you can make a stand against it because you have made a decision.

Relaxation Techniques

Are you ready for a vacation? Come on a journey to peaceful places and tranquil waters. A place to ease your tension, a place which is stress-free and worry-free. No ticket required no terminal lineups, no airsickness. Buckle up for destination paradise!

Your imagination works best when you are relaxed. To prepare yourself, get into a comfortable position in a reclining chair or lying down. Read the exercise, then try it.

Relaxation Technique – Destination Paradise

Take five deep breaths holding each for three seconds, then releasing slowly while relaxing the body. As you breathe out slowly, think the word peace. You’re going to vacation in 1,500 mile-high city of God. In the center is a garden paradise, lush with Amazon flowers, trees and colorful, tropical birds. A shallow stream meanders through color-covered banks. A rubber raft is on the shore and you are going for a ride. Get in the raft. Imagine yourself drifting, the hot sun bathing you in light as you watch the birds and dragonflies. A gentle breeze blows through the treetops. It’s a perfect day, a perfect temperature. And you have nothing to do but float downstream in paradise. Breathe deeply, releasing slowly. Really let yourself go. Let go and trust in God. Let the tension go. Let the worry go. Let the fear go. Be at peace because you are safe. If you start becoming tense, refocus on breathing deeply and slowly, saying peace with each exhalation.

Letting Go
Once you are comfortable, become aware of your breathing. Breathe deeply like you are drinking in oxygen to a thirsty body. Take a deep breath and let it go slowly. When you breathe out, imagine you are exhaling all the worry, fear, pain and doubt from your body. Feel it leaving. As you breathe in, the life-giving oxygen is filling every cell with life. You are becoming more at peace with each breath. You can feel the presence of God with you, comforting you. You are safe. See the problems in your life. Consider them for only a second, then give them all to God. See Jesus taking them and putting them in a bag. He takes them and says, “I will take care of this for you.” And then comes a peace that transcends all chocolate chip cookies.

If you feel uncomfortable, reassure yourself that it is okay to put your problems in the bag.

Peace
Get into a relaxed state by breathing in until the lungs are full, holding for two seconds, then breathing out slowly, while thinking peace. You are ready for battle. To the food that you are resolved to give up, you will boldly shout “NO.” The foods, to which you are not ready to give up, you will weakly say “NO.” Consider why you are not willing to give them up.

Write all the reasons why you do not want to eat that food so your resolve is strengthened, then try the exercise again. If you spend time doing this, and you face a temptation, your response to that food will be an immediate “NO.”

Body Relaxation
Scan your body from head to foot. Are there any areas of tension? If so, take a few deep breaths, hold, then release slowly, saying “relax” to these parts. Are your neck muscles or jaw tense? Focus on relaxing these muscles. Do you have tightness in the shoulders? How are your emotions? Are you fighting worry or anxiety? Is there a feeling of hurt? To these uncomfortable emotions, say “peace” and let go. Create a feeling of contented relaxation. Do not wrestle with your thoughts. Watch how they enter your thinking and gather momentum and feelings. Just keep letting go, saying “peace” to yourself and relaxing the muscles.

Facing a Challenge With Positive Thinking

• “Most people quit. I will not quit. I am a fighter. I can do it.”
• “This is easy. I am going to enjoy doing this.”
• “This is nothing. I am up for the challenge.”
• “I will succeed. It is just a matter of time.”
• “This problem is an opportunity to be creative.”
• “I make the best out of the worst of situations.”
• “I love a challenge.”

Reduce Worry and Frustration With Positive Thoughts

• “God is in control of my life; this will work out.”
• “I am living in the peace of God.”
• “I can feel stillness in this chaos.”
• “Christ keeps my life in perfect order.”
• “I am safe in the arms of Jesus.”
• “I let go and give my life to Christ.”
• “Today, I celebrate God. I am full of joy.”

Positive Thoughts For Health and Healing

• “I have a healthy attitude.”
• “I am awestruck with the beauty of creation.”
• “I choose to be happy right now.”
• “My memory is good.”
• “I have abundant health.”
• “I recover quickly.”
• “I very seldom get sick.”

Warm your heart with the fire of enthusiasm. Take a full week to fill your mind full of positive thoughts and images. Refuse to let negative thoughts control your emotions. You have spent years thinking distorted, self-defeating thoughts and the result has been misery, frustration, obsession and feeling worthless. Encouraging thoughts make self-discipline easy. There are no more mental wars, just peace. Saturate your mind with noble thoughts and the world becomes new. You will see beauty in the smallest flower and find peace in a singing bird. You will feel joy in the tiniest of gifts because you know from where that gift came

• When I eat only fruit, I feel much healthier, and my mind is clearer.
• I really enjoy the taste of health food.
• I like to live healthy.
• My health is improving as my body is being cleansed.
• Fruit is delicious, full of natural fiber, minerals and vitamins. It is easy to prepare and filled with balanced nutrition that digests easily.
• I love eating fruit. It is good for me.
• When I eat fruit, I feel really good. My mind is clear. I awaken feeling refreshed. My skin is healthier. My lungs and sinuses feel clearer and I have more energy.
• When I eat mostly fruit, my discipline strengthens.
• Fighting Cravings
• “I can face this craving.”
• I am staying on my diet.
• I refuse to be controlled by food.
• I am a fighter, not a quitter.
• I will eat later when I can enjoy it.
• This is a test of my willpower, and I am passing it.
• I have control over what I eat.
• If I eat it, I will feel terrible afterward.
• If I pass the test I will feel good about it.
• I have everything that I need to be content.
• I can eat later. I will enjoy my food more if I eat when I am hungry.
• I think that this is enough food. I am content with what I have eaten.
• I have the power to stop obsessive thinking, worry or depression.
• I can do something positive to fight against it.
• I do not enjoy eating when my stomach is upset.
• The craving is stealing my self-respect, joy and peace. I will not give in to it.
• I can face the pain of emptiness, loneliness and sadness because I know that joy will come.

Compulsive Defense Thoughts

• I can face this craving.
• I refuse to be controlled by food.
• I am staying on my diet.
• I hate junk food. It tastes like cardboard is addictive and steals my health.
• I feel weak, but I am making it.
• I am a fighter, not a quitter.
• I have control of what I eat.
• I am filled with joy.
• I am at peace and relaxed. I have no worries.
• I have abundance in all things.
• I have abundant health.
• I recover quickly.
• I hardly ever get sick.

Positive Thoughts From The Bible

All my needs are met in Christ.

• I am living in the peace of God. I am safe in His arms.
• God has done so much for me.
• I am truly blessed.
• This is going to be a glorious day.
• I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

Imagine waking up to those thoughts. Imagine your attitude. Would your life be different? Wholeheartedly, I can say, yes, it will. Depression fades, insecurities evaporate, and worry transforms into challenge. Dreams become larger, as if built on new strength, because inside you know you can do it.
Your thoughts define your limits. Think defeat and you’re defeated. Think you can’t and you won’t.

A small child at a circus was amazed to find such huge animals tied to a stake by a small rope tied around one foot. His father smiled and said, “when the elephant was young they placed a chain around its foot. No matter how hard the young elephant struggled, it could not break free. Eventually the elephant gave up trying and a rope replaced the chain.” Elephants and humans are the same; they are held in place by thin chords of attachment because they believe that they are unbreakable chains.
Believe you can. Perceive, believe then achieve. Become your own cheerleader. (No pompoms required.) Kindle the fire within. The Bible is a book of encouragement. A million angels are shouting you can do it. God Himself is cheering. You are a star in His universe.

Negative thinking gets negative results. If your present brain software isn’t working, it’s time to lap link your cerebral cortex to the most positive terminal in the universe, download a new program and reboot the system. Warning! Wear rubber boots for insulation; this is going to be one huge blast of positive voltage!

When you ate the donuts, you made a decision. They comforted you and led you down the path of sugarcoated, chocolate-dipped, cream-filled pleasures. When the alarm clock rang and you went back to sleep, you made a decision. When you ate another piece of pie, you made a decision. When you lazed on the couch instead of cutting the grass, you made a decision. Each decision was a path, the easy road where you decided to give into your cravings, urges and laziness.

Most people make New Year’s resolutions. They decide to quit smoking, start exercising and lose weight. Four days later, they’re drowning in nicotine, pizza and reruns. Their resolution failed the test.

Where is the point where you have finally had enough and you make those resolute, I’ve-had-enough, never-go-back-again decisions? The ones that endure pain and stand the test of time. Those are the decisions that change our lives. We don’t argue with those decisions because we know the answer is, NO! They are resolute. Gandhi stood resolute and unbending before threats of pain, and freed India. That is the power of an unmovable, unshakable, unbending, uncompromising decision. It is the power that shakes empires and inspires millions. A sword held by the hands of John the Baptist, Christ and the Apostles. Even death could not conquer them.
Life-changing decisions don’t pop into our heads while watching TV. They are forged, like swords in the fires of our souls. A sword to cut away useless desires and temptations. To slice habits from our character with deadly precision. Its steel is heated with passion and conviction, then shaped, molded and tempered with wisdom. Its edge glimmers with light, sharpened so that nothing may withstand it. It is the power of decision, a sword in the hands of a conqueror for those willing to endure its sharpness.

You make hundreds of decisions each day. Most are decided by habit. Don’t do that. Make your decisions, conscious of the path on which they are taking you. Choose decisions that challenge and cause growth. Make the decisions that force change for the better.

How badly do you want to be free from food addiction? Are you willing to face the ugly giant called hunger? Are you willing spend time on your knees before God to dig deep within the soul and pull out a determination that has the courage to meet every obstacle? You have the power to form life-changing decisions, but only if you are willing to face the edge that cuts dross from your life.

There are so many things that we believe we need. We hang on to hollow pleasures to soothe our empty soul. But those pleasures chain us. Freedom comes from letting go of those pleasures. Are you willing? Now, write out a list of your decisions.

Unless you face the issues of childhood, they affect your thoughts and self-discipline. This world is not fair. You can’t change that, but you can choose to live life to its fullest. You can take the good and leave the bad. Bad things happen to everyone. No one has a perfect childhood or perfect parents. You may feel shame, guilt, anger or resentment over what happened in your childhood, but you can let it go. You can accept the pain. The pain is real. You were hurt. Grieve the loss and move on to your future.

The past is unchangeable. Accept what has happened to you. Forgive, then make the decision not to let the past control your life. Yes, people have hurt you. Be glad that you are not like those people. We each reap the seeds that we sow. They will reap their seed, and you will reap yours. Be glad you are a kind person in spite of the abuse. You have become a better person, deeper, more compassionate, with more understanding. Encourage yourself, for you have come a long way!

Change how you think, and you will change how you feel. Events are not destroying your happiness, but the negative thoughts about you are destroying it. You have a distorted image of yourself. You may believe that you deserved being hurt because you were so bad. Because you were treated like garbage, you believe that you were garbage. That is a lie. You are worthy of love. There is so much good inside you.

You are a kind, loving person, and if people reject that, they have lost a good friend.
You have built walls to hide behind. Walls that scream, “stay away, do not hurt me.” It is time to take those walls down. You do not have to be ashamed of who you are. You don’t have to defend yourself any more. You have the power to say no, to make your own decisions. You are in control of your life.

If you need encouragement, encourage yourself. If you need love, dwell on your heavenly Father’s love for you. If you need courage, think of God’s faithfulness to you. If you need peace, give your life to God and let go. You have everything you need to be happy.

Your past is not your future. Each day is a brand new page. Take a chance. Live dangerously. Risk failure. Risk being you. Risk living life to its fullest. Haven’t you had enough of being controlled, beaten and disheartened? How many more years do you want to endure defeat? The decision is yours. Time to download new information into the subconscious and run a program that gets results. We call it God’s freeware.