The Gabriel Message card for this week: 

Give Yourself a Fast from Negative Thoughts about Yourself

This card always shows up at opportune moments when I notice I am being less than compassionate with myself. It is a very old habit. Somehow I took all the criticism I received growing up and heaped it on myself as an adult.

It appeared that I believed that being relentless with myself would somehow make me into a better human. My ego kept me on a very short leash. I guess it wanted to make sure I toed some fine line that would ensure that I acted appropriately and did it correctly. I felt that I was somehow flawed and my natural exuberance needed to be corralled. This made me live in a very contracted state, and of course I attracted people that would step right in and add more judgments in case I relaxed my vigilance.

It was during the millennium shift when I received a brilliant gift from the Universe disguised as the loss of everything I held dear. At that critical juncture I realized that if ever I needed compassion, that was the time. I also started giving myself more permission to be authentic and live what resonated as truth for me. I noticed that when I would back off from my critical mind, my heart would open and I felt more love for all things — including myself. It was a new experience.

It is clear that if being very critical and hard on myself could whip me into shape I would have been enlightened long ago. What my spirit really needs is tenderness and support. It takes a different kind of vigilance to be aware of my habitual thoughts about myself and my world. Usually my feelings let me know. When I'm being hard on myself I feel awful. There's the first clue. I go out of my way now to be as kind to myself as I am with others. Usually I am very kind to other people and give them the benefit of my love and compassion. This is what I need as well.

Sometimes I just put my hand on my heart when I notice my thinking has gone off the love track. That is the Quick Coherence Technique from HeartMath.org. That simple gesture brings me back into a loving place with myself and helps me attune to the One Heart within all beings. Just touching myself kindly in this way is also very soothing to my inner self, as well as my mammalian body.

Synchronicity was demonstrated just beautifully after I wrote the above paragraph. I went to my email and there from HeartMath was an article about the importance of self-love. When this happens, I am inspired. It helps me to know that I am in tune with my soul. Here is a portion of the article:

Self-love means being more compassionate, patient and accepting of ourselves. It means choosing to make self-care a priority. The idea of self-love might feel a bit awkward, but it is not selfish. It is necessary. As we get better at self-love we feel more confident and understand that self-love and loving others is simply a reflection of our deepest essence.

A little child thrives when she is adored and encouraged. This is also true of our inner spirit. We need to be our own greatest cheerleader and supporter in life. The steps we take to give ourselves the benefit of our love and reassurance will lift our vibrational frequency, making it even easier to feel love about ourselves and the world.

In these times when our vibrational frequencies quickly attract more of the same energy we are thinking and feeling, it is exceptionally important to stay as loving with ourselves as possible. We need to keep our thoughts in alignment with the Divine Mind through awareness. Alignment with that vertical access to Source energy is key to being able to stay more conscious in daily life. From this place we can be more accepting of ourselves and allow the situations in our lives to unfold more gracefully.

It begins with our thoughts and our intention to stay in a loving, accepting place with ourselves. Sometimes it requires we be vigilant with our thoughts, but usually it is enough to be willing to give ourselves the compassion and kindness that we all truly deserve.

Know deeply that you are totally lovable and worthy of all that is good. Now let your heart receive love from the Source of all Life, from the Angels, and most of all, from yourself.

The Gabriel Messages #39

Give yourself a fast from negative thoughts about yourself.

Dear One,

You are being asked to give yourself a fast from negative thoughts about who you think you are. Nothing wears down your sense of self more than this type of negative thinking. It is debilitating in every way. Your thoughts are a good place to start in order to affect other areas of your life.

A fast is a time period in which you refrain from some activity. Most people are familiar with a food fast, which allows the digestive system a period of recovery. The same is true for a mental fast. It gives your mind time to recover so you can begin to see the truth in your life without judgment.

The judgmental mind is relentless, constantly seeking out inadequacies to bring them to your awareness. Although shining light into the dark corners of your mind is beneficial, bombarding yourself with negative thoughts, even if you believe them to be true, serves no good purpose.

Practice

So what can you do when such incessant thoughts begin in your mind — thoughts like "I should have done better," "I can never do it right," and other negative impressions of your personal character?

Go to God first. Ask to know the truth clearly within yourself. Call on the Angels to illuminate your mind with Divine Love and pure Golden Light. Ask for peace in your heart and then offer all your thoughts to the Divine Mind.

During your meditations and prayers, take time to visualize these as limiting thoughts you no longer need. Place them in a box and do something creative with them. Sink them to the bottom of the ocean. Send them to heaven in a colorful balloon, or explode them. Find an image that works for you and purposefully send the negative thoughts out of your conscious mind.

It is a law of nature that empty spaces become quickly filled, so remember to fill your now empty mind with Golden Light. This Light is love energy from the Source of all Life. Light contains the seeds of Divine Intelligence that will stimulate loving thoughts. You can elaborate on this by imagining that your heart is a golden chalice being filled with God's love.

Repeat this entire process as often as needed until you are no longer willing to tear yourself down and treat yourself unkindly. Instead, see yourself as you truly are — a beloved child of God; a spirit in human form; a clear vessel able to hold the highest possible level of truth; a beautiful, loving being shining Peace into the world.

You can also turn these statements of truth into affirmations or statements of "I AM" and they will become potent reminders, enabling you to strengthen your connection to your divine essence. There is great power in the words "I AM". Be conscious of whatever you say next because you are making a definitive statement about yourself. You can substitute these or similar affirmations whenever you notice your mind engaged in negative self-talk. Here are some examples:

I am one with God. I am peaceful and loving. I am inspired with thoughts which serve my highest good. I am relaxed and at peace. I am enjoying an abundant lifestyle. I am offering all my work to the Divine Presence and I am fulfilled. I am surrounded and filled with Well-being. I am now empowered to live in harmony with my highest self.

Have these or other phrases ready to quickly turn to, as soon as you notice negative thoughts creeping in. Don't worry if you don't believe your words at first. This is just the resistance of old habits of thought and these habits can be changed. Tell your body it is safe to live in these higher frequencies.

Begin now to treat yourself with kindness and compassion. Remember that you are profoundly loved. Know that Angels embrace you in Wings of Pure Light and see you as a beautiful, radiant spirit here to bring love to the world.

This is the truth of who you really are, so please remember your guidance for today:

Give yourself a fast from negative thoughts about yourself.