A

Avoid Negative People, Places, And Things.

Negative people rob us of our energy. It takes a lot of energy to live life.

Have you ever felt drained after being with someone who complains about anything and everything? That person is zapping your energy! Avoid those people if possible.

If they're family members and you can't or don't want to avoid them, just listen to them — but don't get caught up in their negative drama. Have shorter visits with them. Give yourself permission to spend less time with them. Think of another A word: advocate. Be your own advocate and protect yourself from these energy vampires.

Stay away from negative places that are dangerous or bring up bad memories. Like negative people, negative places can drain our energy and block us from tapping into our creative source.

Avoid negative habits such as excessive drinking or smoking, overeating, or overspending. Get rid of them in any way you can. These habits block your creativity. There are all kinds of resources to help us rid ourselves of negative habits.

Last but not least, avoid negative thinking. Stop criticizing yourself. It's self-defeating. It's okay to tell yourself that you're great because you are great. Your Creator creates only greatness, of which you're a part.

Avoid criticizing and judging other people. Everyone has a story and a path to follow. We're not here to tell other people how to live their lives or to tell them which paths to follow. We're here to create our own stories by following the paths that lead us to becoming the best we can be. Live your life in greatness.

Deliberately decide to avoid these negative sources — and you'll be on your way to success.

Avoid negative people, places, and things.

Deliberate Decisions Exercises

• Think of people in your life who rob you of your energy — people who are complainers, who always see the glass as half empty, or who are just plain negative. Make a list of these people and review it.

• Think of places that bring up negative feelings or feel dangerous to you physically or mentally. Make a list of these places and review it.

• If you have habits that you think are negative and blocking your creativity, write them down and review your list.

• List some of the ways you criticize yourself. At the end of the list, write down some things about yourself that are great.

B

Believe In Yourself.

Sometimes we don't feel very motivated. We feel like we're out of fuel. We start having self-defeating thoughts. Seeing ourselves as failures is easier than visualizing success. We define ourselves by our self-defeating thoughts or images of ourselves. "I'm not good enough." "I'm just not smart enough." "I'm too fat." "I'm too short."

We may blame others for our misgivings or for not reaching our goals. We may blame instead of believing. Blame is giving your power away. Believing in yourself increases your power.

We already know how to achieve our goals. We may not know the details, but we have the overall big picture. Believe in yourself — and the details will fill in. You possess the power to accomplish anything you want. Define yourself by your inner qualities. What you believe about yourself and your life becomes true for you. Believe in yourself. We're part of an amazing tapestry called life. This tapestry is woven with many different designs and colors. Each design is unique and brilliant.

This tapestry would be less rich and less beautiful without you as a part of it. Just knowing that we're part of something so much greater than ourselves gives us the power to create and accomplish anything we set out to do. This power is the fuel that motivates us to reach our goals. Believing we're so much more is the key to the vault that holds our dreams and is the secret to our success.

We all have strengths and weaknesses. We also all have the power to overcome our weaknesses and capitalize on our strengths. Dwelling on negative self-image keeps us from reaching our goals and manifesting our dreams. What we think of ourselves will shape our destinies. Our self-images determine our choices, shape our belief systems, and take over our lives. Self-image becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Believe in yourself and your unique design. Color in this tapestry of life. Let the details fall into place. Never stop believing in yourself. You're the one and only you. You're great — the greatest! You're a perfect piece of art and an important piece of the tapestry.

If you believe that, all things are possible. If you believe in God, a higher power, or something greater than yourself, then ask, "Would my Creator create anything less than perfect?" The answer is no.

We all know about bumper cars. The object of the ride is to bump into as many cars as you can to get them out of your way. Sometimes we drive our vehicles like that. We bump into obstacles that keep us from reaching our goals. We're in the driver's seat of the vehicles we use to get around in life.

If we believe in ourselves, we'll be able to navigate around those obstacles that appear before us on the road to our goals. When we see ourselves as accomplishing anything we wish, the power in the universe supports us, guides us, and propels us toward reaching our goals and dreams.

There is an eternal creative force within us that is waiting to be tapped and channeled into wonderful, joyful creativity. Creative energy can be seen in science, art, literature, and relationships in a positive way. We'll reach our goals and dreams, and we will begin making a difference in the world.

Deliberately decide to believe in yourself. You're truly wonderful. Be full of wonder — and you'll fulfill your dreams!

Believe in yourself.

Deliberate Decisions Exercises

• Since a belief is nothing more than a feeling of absolute certainty about what something means, your beliefs...