I read this quote in an e-mail sent to me last week and I was really impressed because it makes so much sense. It's likely a famous quote, but there was no name attached with it on the e-mail I received. It said:<p>Think highly of yourself, the world takes you at your own estimate<p>So, tell me seven things you appreciate about yourself!!! No critical comments about yourself are allowed!! Only praiseworthy things...<p>Maybe these are good qualities about yourself that are taken for granted? OR perhaps they are compliments that you have received that you find difficult to believe because of a lack of confidence due to having been hurt by your spouse... Or maybe just some things that you honestly feel grateful for? Regardless, if you don't value yourself and your gifts who else really will, besides God?<p>So I'll start...<p>I like...

1. my jokes! [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]
2. my hair--that I need to start dyeing ASAP!!!
3. my cooking!!
4. my taste in clothes
5. my planning habits
6. my (healthy) body
7. my smile because it's a gift that keeps on giving back [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]

<p>Sheesh! That was DIFFICULT! It's soooo easy to focus on what we don't like or what we don't have or what we wish we could be or do. Now... Your turn! Thanks in advance for taking some time to give yourself a little lift today! You deserve a break!

Thanks for this thread BTDT, it's much needed for me right now b/c I'm feeling awful with a head cold - which is why I'm up at this insane hour!!!<p>Hmmmm.... 7 things I LIKE about me...<p>1- my eyes (they're green - not very common)
2- my hair (naturally blonde with red highlights)
3- my height (5'10" and proud of it! [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] )
(I sound like a bombshell, huh? ROFLMAO!!!)
4- my sarcastic sense of humour (it's just what we like about OURSELVES, right? hehehe)
5- my organizational skills in the home
6- my pork roast kicks a$$!!! LOL
7- my ability to help others when I can (like here at MB)<p>There. Done. That wasn't too bad.... which is a good thing, I suppose? I think my biggest problem is that I didn't want to copy all of your list btdt!!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Karen

OK--I'll bite, but geez...only seven? [img]images/icons/tongue.gif" border="0[/img] <p>1. My level of health & fitness (physically stronger since d-day)
2. My patience
3. My sense of humor [I crack myself up [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img] ]
4. My communication skills (It&#8217;s the profession I&#8217;m in)
5. My friends
6. My baby blues [img]images/icons/blush.gif" border="0[/img]
7. Being a nice guy [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Nice thread BTDT....<p>I hope otehrs feel good enough about themselves to answer...<p>E

Seven things I like about me!!!! <p>1. Infectious laughter ... when I laugh I sound so funny everyone joins in.<p>2. Graceful walk .... I was a ballet dancer 20 years ago and that training never goes away completely.<p>3. Cats adore me! I am like a magnet for cats ... perhaps I stink? [img]images/icons/shocked.gif" border="0[/img] <p>4. Intelligent .... a gift from God I did not fully appreciate until later in life.<p>5. Green eyes , strawberry hair, and freckles.<p>6. A 'contact' person ... I am a person who gently touches you when I am with you, and I look directly into your face while speaking to you.<p>7. I am fun to be with.... because... I really like myself! (This is embarrassing ... but true)<p>Pepper [img]images/icons/cool.gif" border="0[/img] <p>[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: Pepperband ]<p>[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: Pepperband ]</p>

1. Introspective/perceptive/communicator<p>2. Dreamer, with pragmatic overtones<p>3. Loyal<p>4. Empathic (not to be confused with sympathetic, which I am not very much).<p>5. Intelligent (a gift from God).<p>6. Wry sense of humor.<p>7. Ability to fix pretty much anything.<p>[ April 03, 2002: Message edited by: sad_n_lonely ]</p>

1. My sense of humor
2. My ability to make friends anywhere
3. My boobs
4. My musical talent [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img]
5. My honor
6. My ability to teach my children
7. My STRENGTH

Here's some of mine:<p>1: my revolting sense of humor (some of you have seen some of it. [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] )
2: I'm a scientist, but I can fix or make just about anything I want to, from cars to houses to scientific instruments - good with wood and glass and metal.
3: I am proud of my sense of integrity.
4: I've lost weight on this "Infidelity diet" (but I guess I' rather have done it on some other plan!).
5: I'm getting old, but I can still get around okay [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img]
6: I am enjoying sharing hobbies with my son. My dad never did that with me.
7: I'm optimistic about the future and about my role in it.<p>There's a lot more, but you asked for 7. [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]

I loved reading all the other replies, so here are my seven...I like my:<p>1) Good sense of humor - from dry to goofy
2) Athletic body - I grew up playing sports and it's paying off today [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]
3) Taste in music - I can enjoy any kind of music and my cd collection is quite diverse
4) Loyalty - I feel I am very trustworthy and honest
5) Ability to adapt to changing conditions - this is new since D-Day and I'm loving my new self [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]
6) Intellegence - I seem to know a little about everything and now Affairs [img]images/icons/frown.gif" border="0[/img]
7) Spaghetti! - I've been told it very good and I like it too [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img] <p>That's my list, thanks for sharing yours too!

Wow!
You guys are really good, I tried and just could not come up with a list... [img]images/icons/frown.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Hopefully I will get where you again someday, I used to really like myself but it seems all self confidence has been taken away with his A.<p>I'll keep trying

Ladysing brings up a very valid point. Had I tried to make a list three years ago, the best thing on the list might have been that I slept really well. I was soooooo depressed. A year later, there might have been a couple of things on the list, if you hit me on a good day. Even a year ago, the list might have been longer, but nothing like it will be today:<p>I have a great sense of humor
I have an infectious laugh
I am a wonderful cook
I am a thoughtful writer
I care about people
I love my eyes, they're warm
I love my smile<p>These are the things that have taken me years to realize.<p>Ladysing, if you can come up with one thing and hold on to it, you will have done well, at this time in your life. Try not to hold high expectations quite yet... but do find one thing, okay?

Sheryl,
Thanks so much, i'm still kind of feeling sorry for myself. I guess right now my #1 would be that i'm a great actress. NO ONE has any idea about my situation, no family or friends. I'm just keeping everything going on the outside and i'm dying on the inside...<p>Your kind words brought tears to my eyes, i'm hopeful that my outlook will improve.

ladysing:<p>You will find, as you start working on yourself and rebuilding your self-esteem, that pretty darn soon you'll be able to fill that list out without any trouble. <p>I've always been pretty introverted and shy, and just 2.5 months ago, after D-day, I wouldn't have been able to list anything more than "for a guy, I can cry pretty good!" A lot has changed, for me, in that time. Not enough of our M has improved, but it's coming along slowly.<p>Hang in there!

BINthere wrote:<p>Regardless, if you don't value yourself and your gifts who else really will, besides God?<p>I have an answer to this, for me at least - my husband! [img]images/icons/wink.gif" border="0[/img] I only touch on this because I just had a talk with my hubby not too long ago about how I don't like myself (because of what I did and who I had become/was). He told me it was ok that "I still like you!" Sometimes it's ok to rely on another persons value of you to get to value yourself again. Just wanted to share that.<p>Ok, here are mine: [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] <p> 1) being a mom and wife
2) my closeness with my parents
3) my cooking
4) my intelligence
5) my green eyes
6) my ability as a friend
7) and, my husband says I'm the most beautiful woman he's ever seen [img]images/icons/blush.gif" border="0[/img] <p>Thanks for the thread.

Here's me! (Thanks BTDT!!!)<p>1. I'm smart and talented
2. I'm Sweet and thoughtful
3. I'm Warm and Caring
4. My Sense of humor [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]
5. I'm Loyal (friend, sister, wife, employee)
6. I'm a good problem-solver
7. I'm a good listener<p>
oops... I put several "and"'s in there... did I list more than 7??? [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]

boy are there a lot of smart people here or what [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img] wonder what this means......hmm, something else to ponder.

<small>[ February 07, 2005, 01:24 PM: Message edited by: hanora ]</small>

Well,
Lets see, I Like my personality, I like the color of my eyes (blue), I like my smile, I like the way i allways want to help people, I like the way i pick out my clothes when i go shopping. I like the way i make people smile when they are deppresed. I like the fact that i a'm real close to my family. [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]

Hey Gang,<p>Anyone else noticing the common traits here? A great/good sense of humor, two eyes [normally of the same color unless you are a Husky...sorry NB, I don't get the warm eyes gig. I just felt mine and they are only like luke warm at best], a smile, hair, we all have bodies, oh and don't forget boobs. Hey!!! Men have breast too!!! <p>I think I'm on to something here folks!!! I'll have to get back to you. I'm checking out how the cat responds to me. Guys need a little pu...shing to get to get motivated... yeah that's it. [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img] <p>I'm ready for my Nobel Prize!!!

Ok,
Here it goes.
1- I like that i a'm a very caring person.
2- I like how i can make people smile when they are down.
3- I like the way i fix my home up.
4- I like my cooking And hope everyone else does, LOL [img]images/icons/grin.gif" border="0[/img]
5- I like the color of my eyes (blue)
6- I like the fact that i can help people when ever they need someone.
7- I like how i can open up and share my feelings to outhers. Well that wasen't as hard as i thought it would be. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif" border="0[/img] Cathy

*sigh* You guys are cracking me up! Thank you so much for the lift in my spirits. Thanks to everyone who responded and if anyone else out there feels like Ladysing, consider yourself HUGGED--REAL TIGHT and REAL LONG and REAL WARM. I know you're gonna make it!<p>Dear Ladysing, my prayer is that you will see all the good things inside of you--good things that God has put inside there that are unique gifts that nobody else has, since there is only one you... I pray that you would recognize those special things about yourself and never ever let anyone or any (bad) situation you may find yourself in, dictate your self-worth. I pray that you would be able to separate who you are from what you have done or what is happening to you and spot the qualities that shine.<p>Fire/heat removes impurities from gold. I pray that as you go through these fiery trials of life that you would come out as fine as pure gold, shining bright, just like your future! [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]