Interestingly, life treats us the way we treat ourselves. I beat myself up mentally, so I attracted people who did the same to me. Because I didn't put a stop to their critical comments, I was giving them permission to treat me in a disparaging way.

Our subconscious mind always follows our lead, and the Universe always supports us in our goals. It doesn't matter that the goals may not be what we'd consciously choose. The subconscious will present us with what the tendency of our thoughts might be. If we aren't treating ourselves with respect, kindness, and worth, then the subconscious will figure that's how we expect the world to treat us. The Universe then fills that pattern with the energy that is equivalent to what we're expressing.

If we don't stand up for ourselves, then we're instructing the subconscious mind to allow us to be victimized by bullies. People use us as the proverbial doormat, wiping their feet on us. On the other end of the spectrum, the folks who are too aggressive or drive themselves unmercifully attract much more conflict. Discord shows up not only in their relationships, but also in their everyday activities. When they push too hard, life pushes back and gives them ever-increasing difficulties.

There's an old saying, "If you have something that needs to get done, give it to the busiest person you know." The person who has a lot to do, and doesn't take time for themselves, will have even more tasks dumped on them. The subconscious follows the general trend of a person's thoughts. Even if they want more time off, if they don't make an effort to carve it out for themselves, the subconscious won't help them. When a person doesn't value themselves enough to set positive priorities and take action on them, the subconscious doesn't believe their desires have any importance, either.

Most of my clients struggle with self-esteem issues. They have feelings of shame, worthlessness, and due to old programming, don't take the steps necessary to support their own health and well-being. This book is a great resource to anyone who has experienced these challenges.

The author addresses the subjects of healing the inner child, reviewing past abuses in the light of our current understanding, connecting with our healed, future self and much more. Especially helpful to me was the chapter on the protective parts. These parts were created to help us in a time of stress. Based on the old information, they continue to control us, and many times this actually hurts our desire to heal. However, we can update their protection and turn them into resources that support us in the present day.

Instructions, exercises and scripts for self-hypnosis accompany each of her chapters to do the inner work and heal. This book is a wonderful addition to anyone who has read John Bradshaw's books on healing the inner child, or who has had a dysfunctional childhood and wishes to resolve the old wounds to become a happier person.