Exercise #1 Desensitizing yourself to failure.

Recall, and record in minute detail the worst and most humbling failure you can remember. [Dedicate a special section of your journal to this painful task]. Construct a 'timeline' of the incident, and systematically dissect each of your actions and the resulting behavior of the others present. How does one follow from the other? What could you have done differently? Finally, take pride that you had the resolve to continue living and relating to the persons who witnessed your humiliating pratfall. For all the things you did wrong, there were isolated moments of defiant resistance that ennobled and gave meaning to your abject misery. Exercise #2 Feeling Good About Yourself Choose one of the good memories from your past history, the success story you are most proud of. Freeze that scene, the expressions of the people looking on, the feel of your muscles tensing as you realized just what you were up against, your quick assessment of the situation and your decisive action. Now, consider what made this particular experience so empowering for you. Cherish the feelings you had at that singular moment of triumph, and carry an ember of that warm glow with you - always. Exercise #3 Giving Meaning To Your Life An insecure, purposeless life needs structure, meaningful pattern, a plan. While a job imposes a structure of sorts on the day, it leaves those long hours of leisure to be disposed of by entertainment and simple time-killing. Is it so surprising then, that insecure people seek approval and reassurance from others, that they lack a sense of personal identity, that they need desperately to fill the terrible void inside them? What areas in your own life lack structure? Does your daily routine have a purpose, or are you just "running on autopilot"? What