The only time I decide to change is when I feel the pain of staying the same.

When you feel sort of sad or depressed out of no where then you forget that you felt so down, and you try to remember what or why you felt down in the first place, don’t! Please stop and continue on, not beating yourself up. You see in this moment you are captured in your own existence. You are being and you are able to let go of that ego, because you know deep down sometimes your mind and thoughts are not in good shape.

Take responsibility of the words you speak and the thoughts you think. It is hard work and it takes practice. People seem to focus on losing weight or making more money. We should focus on losing negative thoughts and making up self loving ones. If we think in terms of self love then we would make better eating choices and also draw abundance and prosperity into our lives, in so many different forms. If you have an idea of an opportunity that you would like to receive, the chance of a lifetime, you have to think affirmatively. I agree with spiritual leader Emmet Fox, who once said:

“What you concentrate upon you bring into your life… Think of the photographic process. The secret of a clear picture lies in focus. You focus your camera lens steadily for the necessary length of time. Suppose I want to photograph a vase of flowers. I place them in front of the camera and keep them there. But suppose that after a few moments I snatch away the vase and hold a book in front of the camera, and then snatch that away, and hold up a chair, and then put the flowers back for a few moments. You know what will happen to my photograph. It will be a crazy blur. Is not that what people do to their minds when they cannot keep their thoughts concentrated for any length of time? They think health for a few minutes and then they think sickness or fear. They think prosperity and then they think depression.”

Work out.

I remember being such a Debbie Downer — on the inside. I was and could still be the girl so fragmented by the depths of her thought. I would not go after what I wanted because somewhere in my mind I told myself I was not good enough. I did not believe in myself. It did not matter the praise or compliments I received from others. Compliments would come from far and long, but it did not matter because in my mind I was trapped in a mindset call, “Self Pathetic”. For get self pity. I had to truly come to and awaken to the fact that I was a self degrader. No matter what I had or did I hated myself. My focus was always on what I could not do, rather than what I could. I would catch myself focusing on what others are doing and instead of using others as inspiration, I would continuously tell myself, you SUCK. Way to keep on sucking, right?

Make the decision to work out your mental powers. You have all the power. A friend of mine always says, “thoughts are a powerful weapon,” well ain’t that the truth. The fact is the truth will hurt. If we do not recognize where our focus lies than we will forever be living in the pits of our own abyss. Positive vibes and energy we receive will be kidnapped and seep into the quicksands of pessimistic thought, if we are not conscientious of what we focus on and let marinate in our minds.

We create our own heaven or hell.

It is paralyzing when the spirit is broken and unable to mend, because we do not take make the choice to take charge and responsibility of the life we live, the human being’s we are, and the perception’s we hold on to.

Think of all the well educated or highly thought-of individuals who have committed suicide. We all have to get to the point of realizing that going through k-12 and onto higher education does not stimulate our self worth, confidence, and love for ourselves or others. If we do not learn it within our families or close relations, how will we ever overcome the stigmas that have marked our mental state throughout our lives.

I’m going to suggest a class on self-love, every year for every grade. This will prepare awakening, being more conscious to environments and being aware of who we are, and the world we live in. Class starts off with a 15–20 minute meditation. There will be affirmations, quotes, and mantra repeated after the mediation or even during! This class will teach the youth to take time to listen to their mind’s and dissect their thoughts. What truly uplifts a human being and what brings one down?

Negativity towards self and others will always bring the mind into a dreary state, while positive and loving words and actions will bring the mind towards light, peace, and serenity.

It starts on a personal basis of allocating thought.

I commend you for the honesty and awareness of seeking knowledge and acceptance of who you are. There is no deadline except death. The time is now to figure out who you are not, so that you may know and continue to create your authentic self.