Let’s start with a simple question: when is the last time you felt good about yourself? No, not the good feeling you get after a glass of wine, or after you’ve done a really good job of something…when is the last time you felt good about who you are? Think about it for just a moment…who are you? No, not your name, not your occupation, and especially not who you used to be…who are you? You could be a mother/father, daughter/son, an aunt/uncle, sister/brother…but that’s who you are to other people, not who you are.

Get a piece of paper and a pen. Write the numbers 1-5 on each line…and write five things you like about yourself. Hmm, not as easy as it sounds is it? It took me a while, but here are my 5 things…

1. I like my personality – bubbly, friendly, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, a little nuts…it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it because makes me interesting.
2. My loyalty and dedication to my family and friends – since my family and the friends I choose greatly influence who I am, it seems logical to love them unconditionally and to do whatever I can for them, when I can.
3. My talents – it’s hard for me to accept praise about something I’m good at, but I’m forever grateful for the gifts God has given me.
4. My nature – I’m a caring, generous and loving kind of person. Just because life isn’t always nice for a nice person, doesn’t mean you should stop being nice.
5. My ability to get through all the bad things that have happened to me in my life – to fall down, break down, and pick myself back up again.

Well, that took me about half an hour, how about you…like I said, not as easy as it might seem at first is it? Now read your list to yourself…take a few moments to remind yourself who you are, and pretty soon you’ll have memories of who you used to be, which will remind you how far you’ve come. Keep your list somewhere safe – mine is somewhere I’ll see it every now and again, just so I can remind myself of who I am.

I can guarantee that you’re worried or anxious about something in your life right now – things aren’t going your way and it’s one thing after another, someone has been irritating the hell out of you, you’ve suffered a terrible loss and/or tragedy, and you don’t know how much longer you can keep your head above water. But remember one thing, and remind yourself everyday…you are still here. You still get up everyday, you do what you need to do, you do things you don’t want to do but have to; but you are doing them, being you. You know, I’ve had the same New Year’s Resolution for quite a few years now, and it’s very simple; do something everyday that makes you smile. Even if that means buying a pack of bubbles and blowing bubbles in my room, I smile everyday, because I learned a long time ago that at least one person will make me frown everyday – I have to even things out!

I have something else I would like you to do, an activity I learned recently…draw a big circle, then divide it into 8 sections:this is your Wheel of Support. In the first section, write the name of the person you would go to when you have a problem at work; 2nd is who you would go to when you want to talk to someone, 3rd is when you feel really happy, 4th is when you want to have fun, 5th is when you feel lonely, 6th is when you have a crisis, 7th is when you’re sick, 8th when you have a personal problem. Just to let you know, this list isn’t limited to people you know in real life, it can include people you’ve met online – for example, through Time To Change. Now look at your wheel…you’re never alone, are you? Especially if one of your sections says Time To Change – you are never alone and that is something you must never forget.

So what have you learned…or should I say, what have you remembered? Well, you’ve remembered who you are, what you like about yourself, who you used to be, you’ve remembered that you’re stronger than you think you are, you’ve remembered what you’ve been through and survived…and hopefully, you’ve remembered that it’s not a bad thing to feel good about yourself.

I just want to leave you with a poem I keep on my wall, and I read it everyday…

Life is a Challenge – meet it.
Life is a Gift – accept it.
Life is an Adventure – dare it.
Life is a Sorrow – overcome it.
Life is a Tragedy – face it.
Life is a Duty – perform it.
Life is a Game – play it.
Life is a Mystery – unfold it.
Life is a Song – sing it.
Life is an Opportunity – take it.
Life is a Journey – complete it.
Life is a Promise – fulfill it.
Life is a Love – embrace it.
Life is a Puzzle – solve it.
Life is a Goal – achieve it!