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INSISTING ON THE BEST

We deserve the best life and love have to offer, but

we are each faced with the challenge of learning to

identify what that means in our life. We must each

come to grips with our own understanding of what we

believe we deserve, what we want, and whether we are

receiving it.

There is only one place to start, and that is right

where we are, in our current circumstances. The place

we begin is with us.

What hurts? What makes us angry? What are we whining

and complaining about? Are we discounting how much a

particular behavior is hurting us? Are we making

excuses for the other person, telling ourselves we're

"too demanding?"

Are we reluctant, for a variety of reasons, especially

fear, to tackle the issues in our relationships that

may be hurting us? Do we know what's hurting us and

do we know that we have a right to stop our pain, if

we want to do that?

We can begin the journey from deprived to deserving.

We can start it today. We can also be patient and

gentle with ourselves, as we travel in important

increments from believing we deserve second best, to

knowing in our hearts that we deserve the best, and

taking responsibility for that.

Just for today, I will pay attention to how I allow

people to treat me, and how I feel about that. I will

also watch how I treat others. I will not overreact

by taking their issues too personally and too

seriously; I will not underreact by denying that

certain behaviors are inappropriate and not acceptable

to me.

Always remember to quit while you're ahead.

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