Article: We all need reminders of the positive parts of who we are, and it is easy to forget or not give yourself the credit you deserve. Are you a positive person?  Are you a caring person?  Do you cherish your family, whether it be your family by blood or choosing? You can write everything down in a journal. Feeling good about your life starts with feeling good about yourself, yet it can be easy to focus on the negative aspects of ourselves instead of the positive. Take a twenty-four-hour period to conduct an experiment about how you treat yourself. Make a list throughout the day of all of the times you talk down to yourself. At the end of the day, take a look at all of the negative self-talk you participated in. Make another list that reframes all of those negative statements in a positive, honest way. For example, say in the morning you forgot your keys and your automatic thought was to call yourself stupid. In your reframe list, you can change that thought to: “I’m not stupid. I’m a person who makes mistakes.” Make sure you are always taking time to nurture yourself. Life is challenging, and nurturing yourself will motivate you to be kinder to others. The way we treat ourselves is often a reflection of how we treat others. Start with yourself, practice kindness for yourself every day, and then it will seem more natural to extend that kindness to others. Make an effort to go out to your favorite restaurant or enjoy your favorite dessert. It can also be something as simple as getting a haircut or a massage. Treating yourself with respect and care makes it easier to spread that kindness to others. Make some easy goals to care for your body. This is not about changing your entire lifestyle, but more so taking small steps that prove to your body and yourself that you care about you.  If you don’t get much exercise, make a goal to walk for at least ten minutes a day. Take a look at your diet and health and think of easy changes you can make to nurture yourself. For example, say you eat fast food more than three times a week. You could make it a goal to only eat fast food once a week. Imagine it almost like a kindness scavenger hunt. As you check off your goals on your kindness scavenger hunt, also be aware of how you feel at the end of the day. Did it feel good to be kind to someone else? Did it make you feel good about yourself?  For example, you could make a goal of smiling at a stranger at least twice in a day. Another goal could be finding someone who needs help with a project such as moving or painting their home and offering to help or comforting someone in your life who is having a rough time. A wonderful way to feel good about yourself and your life is giving back and getting involved in your community.  There are many people in this world who need help.  There is nothing more gratifying than knowing that you have helped someone in need. Try spending some time volunteering in your community. You can contact shelters, animal rescues, youth organizations, or co-ops just to name a few.

What is a summary?
Reinforce the qualities you like about yourself. Treat yourself with kindness. Reward yourself. Treat your body well. Make a list of kindness goals. Get involved with your community.