The Ten Commandments...

My bookshelf is full of books on therapy and self-help. Some I’ve read and some I haven’t. One of the small books on my shelf is The Ten Commandments of Self-Esteem. It’s a little book published by Catherine Cardinal, PhD, in 1998. It’s an easy read and has some good ideas, but my favorite part is the chapter titles which I like to keep around as reminders. Though the text is in plain English, the chapter titles are in pseudo-biblical language which makes the author's points seem humorous and also somewhat serious. I particularly like the way she worded #IV.

Here they are - The Ten Commandments of Self-Esteem:

I. Thou shalt not consort with people who make thee feel bad about thyself.

II. Thou shalt cease trying to make sense out of crazy behavior.

III. Thou shalt not keep company with those more dysfunctional than thyself.

IV. Trust thy body all the days of thy life (thy mind doth fornicate with thee).

V. Thou has permission at all times to say "NO," to change thy mind, and to express thy true feelings.

VI. What is not right for thee is also not right for thy brethren.

VII. Thou shalt not give beyond thine own capacity.

VIII. What thy brethren think of thee mattereth naught.

IX. Wherever thou art, therein also is the party.

X. Thou shalt sing thine own praises all the days of thy life.