excerpts from Thoughts of Power and Love
Susan Jeffers PhD
(Author of Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway)

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Change requires constant practice and repetition. Don't dwell on setbacks when they occur (and they will); rather, focus on every little sign of progress.

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If you ever find the voice of impatience creeping in, just keep repeating to yourself: "One Step At A Time Is Enough For Me"

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There is no quick fix. Sorry about that! But there is a cornucopia of tools to be used and mastered throughout a lifetime.

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There is plenty of time. And despite what the chatter in your mind (or anyone else's) is telling you, it's all unfolding perfectly.

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The Journey inward and upward is much like the experience of climbing a mountain. Sometimes the climb is tough. But each time you stop to look around, the view becomes more and more spectacular. And you are propelled higher by the increasing beauty you see.

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Have you noticed that if we don't learn our lessons, the Universe hands us many more opportunities for learning .... until we get it right! Sometimes I wish the Universe wasn't so generous!

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Chrissie: Funnily enough, I remember a long time ago that you mentioned that you didn't drink, and it certainly made me feel that it would be inappropriate to mention my own problems with drink. I had no idea that you DIDN'T drink because you had similar experiences!! I know the scary feeling of having "something take over your life", after smoking 20 cigarettes a day for more than ten years, I finally had had enough of it (I'm 33 years old BTW, but thanks for the compliment--emotionally, I feel like I'm about 13 sometimes!). With the drinking though, I know that I'm really hurting myself (physically and emotionally, and certainly mentally--(it definitely brings on episodes of depression after drinking too much, and not even the next day, but usually days afterwards). But then I start to convince myself that the "cure" for depression is yet another drink, so it becomes a vicious cycle. I feel a lot of guilt about drinking, I can and DO drink socially (very infrequently though), but I prefer to drink alone, which I think is sad. My boyfriend thinks it's sad too (pathetic, I think is the term he used). I know he's right. It's one thing that he tells me that I know he's right about (there are others), but there are a lot of things that we disagree about. I want to be my own person and make my own decisions, to be independent, and "walk my own path". He has his own ideas about things and the clashes that occur when we disagree get on my nerves because I feel that the relationship is always a struggle and there's a lot of criticism (on both sides). But on the other hand, we have a laugh together and are very affectionate, he "builds" me up in a lot of ways and boosts my confidence at times and can be really supportive. I like to think of it as the normal "give and take" in a relationship. I know that we are both responsible for the relationship that we've created. (By the way, none of this is private, he reads all of it, sometimes annoyingly over my shoulder, but if he wants to read it, then so be it. Even if he doesn't agree with any of the metaphysical/spiritual things that really interest me, and is usually quite cynical and dismissive.) That doesn't really matter...I do love him very much and he certainly is in my life for a reason.

Anyway, thanks again, all of you for your support and love, I feel less lonely today, certainly more positive, and on the verge of REALLY, REALLY believing that I am ok, just as I am.

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