Do you ever say, or think to yourself, “I’m disappointed with myself; I thought I could do that, but I really blew it,” “I wish I felt better about myself,” or “I’m so mad at myself; I fall apart at the slightest criticism.” How about, “I’m so frustrated with myself,” “I’m my own worst enemy; I keep sabotaging myself,” or “I wish I could get myself to do that” (or stop doing that)?
Have you ever wondered how you got into this unpleasant struggle between “I” and “myself,” or how you can get out of it? You know that this struggle isn’t necessary, because you also have times when you are very pleased with yourself, satisfied with your decisions and actions. Both your failures and successes often result from the beliefs that you have about yourself, what is often called identity or self-concept. The book that you have in your hands is a practical manual that can teach you how to strengthen the qualities in yourself that you like, and change the qualities that don’t like, so that you can have a much better and more satisfying life.