1. I believe the more I comfort and fill myself with thoughts of a “brighter tomorrow,” the better off I am, but I can see… all discontentment belongs to an inconsolable level of self that doesn’t exist without seeking something to complete itself. So I will no longer identify with its sense of emptiness.

2. I may be convinced that you’re responsible for my angry state, and all the heat I feel burning me up, but I can see… that there’s a fiery part of me throwing logs onto the fire as fast as it can so that it can dance in the flames! So I will refuse to blame you for any flames I feel.

3. I may loathe the idea of having to go through some kind of difficulty in life, and find it easier to run from it, but I can see… that trying to avoid these difficult moments only ensures they will come around again, so I will choose the “hard way” instead.

4. I may be filled with a certainty that rushing to get something done will release me from the anxiety I feel, but I can see… that rushing to, or through anything does nothing but drive me nowhere faster, so I will deliberately slow myself down.

5. I may be convinced my pain is the product of some inconsiderate act on your part, and that you should be punished accordingly for trying to hurt me, but I can see… because I’ve seen it in myself — that it’s your pain that makes you mean, so I refuse to add to your suffering even the smallest measure of my own.

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