In this chapter I want you to look at yourself in a new light. I want you to see what you are really like, not what you think others see in you, but what you actually are like.

Meditate on the drawing below and think about this, who are you really?

Where are you? I know that you are reading this book, but where are you mentally? Is your mind fully on this book or are you thinking other thoughts? Please remember that to be successful you should do only one thing at a time.

Do you like yourself? As the old saying goes. - . "If you don't like yourself, then no one else will." - So many people really don't like themselves, they think so little of themselves. But you know YOU is all you have! Yes that is correct, you, the inner you is all that you have! You don't own or control any other person. I realize that you may think that you do, but you really don't. Each one of us has our own mind and we can think any thought that we wish! All the THINGS we use or have are ours only for a few short years. The only thing that we truly have is our inner self, and so all that we really need is to like ourselves-remember the carrots! We had better like our bodies.

Where are you mentally? Think about this in relation to money, love, sex, and physical things. On what do you spend your time? How can you make more money? How can you achieve more? Or, how can you love yourself more and how about loving others? Do you say, "How can I get others before they get me?" Or, "How can I give more to others?"

STOP . . . reread the beginning of this chapter, look at the picture and meditate on the previous questions before you go on.

You know that when a baby is born he is perfect, yes, as were you! You, too, were perfect when you were born. What happened between then and now? I know you blame your parents, boss, society, mate, and the list goes on and on. BUT can you really blame another person or things for how you feel right now, or where you are right now? YES, you can, but are they really responsible - what about you? Did those other people or things really think for you and did they really get you where you are right now? I say NO! I think man ENJOYS blaming others, it is the easy way out. So are you copping out on life? Remember the story of Adam and Eve? Adam blamed Eve for taking the apple, and she blamed the snake, BUT did she have to take it? Or did Adam have to take it? NO. Someone can hand you a physical thing and you can refuse to take it-the same goes for mental trips!

We need to STOP blaming others for where we are right now and STAND ON OUR OWN TWO FEET. Maybe you don't want to change, and that is fine. If you like your problems, then you can keep them. But if you want a better and happier life, then it is time to look at yourself, to accept the responsibility for yourself.

STOP and meditate on the last three paragraphs for about ten minutes. Ask yourself:

Could this be me?

Now I want you to make two lists, remember this is your workbook and these are your lists. No one is going to see them except you, yourself, so write what you really want. The two lists are what you think are important, so take your time.

PHYSICAL THINGS (example: car, new house, money)

NON-PHYSICAL THINGS (example: love of self, love of nature, friends)

Now ask yourself:

• Why are these things so important to me?

• Will these physical things really make me as happy as I thought they would?

• If they do make me happy, how long does that happiness last?

• I know that we have been told that they are supposed to make us happy, but for how long?

• I know that we buy a new car and we think that we will now be happy, but how long does it last?

STOP, and meditate over the above for at least ten minutes and ask yourself how does the above apply to me? Or am I special!

Another way that you should look at yourself is - do you flow with life, OR do you fight it? You wouldn't drive on a busy interstate in the wrong lane, would you? I know that I would not! Well the same principle applies to life-many of us struggle against it, and we need to learn to flow with it. We need to learn to look on the bright side of life, and have a good attitude. The sun comes up every day and all the darkness disappears, every day starts a new life, and you can too, if you wish. Do animals worry, or do they just live? You too can start afresh every day, IF you wish.

Let's compare a person with a drop of water. This drop of water is high up in the mountains where the air is clean and life for that drop of water is very simple. Now suppose that drop of water had a choice, either to flow down stream, or stay there. If it stayed, it would not get a chance to experience life. If it stayed, then the pond would become stagnant - as many people have done. They have not ventured out into life; they have held onto the past. They have not ventured out to find out what life has to offer them, or what they could give to life. That drop of water has another choice-to flow down the stream and live a full life. Do you want to become stagnant and stale or do you want to live? I realize that the 'water drop' could read about life, and be told all about it, but that is much different from experiencing it. You can be told what an apple tastes like, but until you taste it you really don't know what it tastes like, do you? So with life my choice is to swim with the current, what is yours?

In review of this section of looking at yourself, perhaps you have taken a new look at yourself; if you haven't then PLEASE re-read this chapter and ask yourself:

• How can I use this material?

• How does this apply to me?

• It really applies to each one of us, or are you already perfect?