affirmation.

My goal for February is to work as hard for myself as I do for others and to do that I must first believe in myself.

It's hard to give a damn when you don't think you're worth a damn. Payroll is tight at work. The hours just aren't there, but that doesn't stop the bills from coming. I have these wonderful dreams that I can make enough money with my art to make ends meet. But lately my days have been filled with so much doubt. That doubt takes me by the hand, sits me down on the couch, turns on the tv and asks me to stay awhile. It pulls out the sweats and a bag of chips and says Enjoy!

If I don't believe that I'm worth more than that why should anyone else? Why should anyone hire me? Why should anyone respect me if all I do when I get home from work is behave bitterly? My friends come over and together we talk about doing great things. But we're not doing any of them. We're just sitting on the couch, speculating. Dreaming of what our integrity could do... if we let it.

It's time for balance. To balance relaxation with productivity. To balance dreams with reality. To balance the energy that I invest in others with the energy I invest in myself. It's time to let my integrity have a fair chance. It's time for me to work as hard for myself as I do for others. It's time for joy to balance out the years of anger and frustration- which means letting go and making room.

I need to believe that I can do this. That I am worth doing this for. The power of a compliment goes a long way- and I am tired of waiting for them! It's time to start giving them out, beginning with myself.

Because I am smart.
I am beautiful.
I am a hardworker.
I do have integrity.
I am creative.
I am loving, generous and kind.
I am better at living than this.
I am capable of doing big things.

And I think that you are powerful. I think that you are more beautiful than you will ever realize. I think that you deserve more out of life. I think that you are capable of getting it. And I think that you should go out there and get it.