Running the Gauntlet to Find the Enemy Within

Summary: Find Out if You are Your Own Best Friend or Worst
Enemy

Background: "Get busy living or get busy dying" : that is what life
is about. At every moment, we are choosing either life or death.
We choose life when we honor ourselves by making empowering
choices, by having life affirming emotions, and by seeing ourselves
"positively". When we do not, we are - in essence - choosing death.
By our choices in life, we can be our own best friend or worst
enemy. It begins inside with the beliefs and thoughts we choose.

Goal: The goal of this exercise is no less than to determine if a

"revolution from within" is what is needed. This is achieved by
"running the gauntlet" of common experiences and emotions to
see how you "measure up" to the challenges life has presented you
with. You cannot choose life-love and death-fear at the same time.

To make better choices, you need to know where you are right
now. If you are filled with negative thoughts and beliefs, you need
to know that so that you can unlearn them. For only when you
can think and act from a place of love, can you be at peace with
yourself, with others, and with God.

Preparation: All you need is a blank piece of paper, a pen or

pencil, and a quiet place and time to do this exercise.

How to Do This Exercise: DO it QUICKLY: Take the FIRST answer

you get!

1- Rate yourself as to the "self images" you hold and "emotions"

you experience:

Empowering................ Empowering........Disempowering......
Disempowering
Self Images................. Emotions............ Self Images............
Emotions

___ Self Acceptance.... ___ Action.......... ___ Self Abuse............ ___

Anger

___ Self Approval....... ___ Acceptance... ___ Self Conceited...... ___

Blame

___ Self Assurance...... ___ Clarity.......... ___ Self Conscious.......

___ Criticism

___ Self Confidence.... ___ Confidence.... ___ Self Contempt...... ___

Depression

___ Self Control.......... ___ Contented..... ___ Self Criticism........ ___

Despair

___ Self Discipline....... ___ Empathy....... ___ Self Deception......

___ Dishonesty

___ Self Discovery...... ___ Enthusiasm.... ___ Self Defeating.......

___ Fear

___ Self Examination... ___ Faith............. ___ Self Denial............

___ Guilty

___ Self Expression..... ___ Gentleness.... ___ Self Destructive....

___ Hate

___ Self Help.............. ___ Hope............ ___ Self Fearful.......... ___

Inadequacy

___ Self Improvement. ___ Humble......... ___ Self Hatred.......... ___

Jealous

___ Self Love............. ___ Kindness....... ___ Self Humiliation.... ___

Lethargy
___ Self Preservation.. ___ Joy................ ___ Self Inflicted........ ___
Lies

___ Self Protection..... ___ Laughter........ ___ Self Judgment...... ___

Loneliness

___ Self Reliance........ ___ Love............. ___ Self Limiting......... ___

Meanness

___ Self Respect......... ___ Relaxed........ ___ Self Mutilating...... ___

Nervous

___ Self Satisfaction.... ___ Respect........ ___ Self Pity............... ___

Prideful

___ Self Starter........... ___ Responsible.. ___ Self Righteous...... ___

Regret

___ Self Sustaining...... ___ Truth............ ___ Self Sabotaging....

___ Sadness

___ Self Worth........... ___ Trust............. ___ Self Sacrificing..... ___

Shame

___ TOTAL (+)........ ___ TOTAL (+).. ___ TOTAL (-).......... ___ TOTAL
(-)

___ TOTAL (+) Self Image/Emotion... ___ TOTAL (-) Self

Image/Emotion

2-Rate yourself as to the "personal statements" that you feel apply

to you now:

"I AM" Personal Statements........"I AM NOT" Personal Statements

___ I am a good person.................. ___ I am not but could be a

good person.

___ I am a positive person.............. ___ I am not but could be a

positive person.
___ I am a loving person................. ___ I am not but could be a
loving person.

___ I am a joyful person.................. ___ I am not but could be a

joyful person.

___ I am a confident person............ ___ I am not but could be a

confident person.

___ I am a trustworthy person......... ___ I am not but could be

trustworthy.

___ I am a strong person................. ___ I am not but could be a

strong person.

___ TOTAL(+): Personal Attributes ___ TOTAL(-): Personal

Attributes

___ I am loved by God..................... ___ I am not loved by God.

___ I am a child of God.................... ___ I am a child of man.

___ I allow God to enter my life........ ___ I do not believe in God.

___ I trust the serenity God provides. ___ I do not believe God can
help me.

___ I believe God cares about me..... ___ I do not believe God cares
about me.

___ I am not alone: God is with me... ___ I am alone: God is never
there for me.

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with God ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with God

___ I am loved by others................... ___ I am not but could be

loved by others.

___ I trust people.............................. ___ I do not trust people.

___ I am a friendly person................. ___ Others do not believe
that I am friendly.

___ I make friends easily................... ___ I lose friends easily.

___ I establish my boundaries/limits... ___ I let others do what

they want to me.

___ I express my feelings to others.... ___ It is hard telling others

how I feel.

___ I forgive others who hurt me....... ___ I do not/find it hard to

forgive others.

___ I easily give/take with others....... ___ Others take too much
from me.

___ I am tactful with others................ ___ Others must "like me or

lump" me.

___ TOTAL(+): Relation w/ Others ___ TOTAL(-): Relation w/

Others

___ I respect myself........................... ___ Others are more

important than I am.

___ I will be who I am........................ ___ I will be who others want

me to be.

___ I affirm my worth/goodness.......... ___ Others affirm my

worth/goodness.

___ I acknowledge my needs.............. ___ Others to acknowledge

my needs.

___ I forgive myself............................ ___ I do not easily forgive

myself.

___ I am tolerant of my mistakes......... ___ I can never

forget/forgive my mistakes.
___ I am a friend to myself.................. ___ I do more for others
than I do for me.

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with Self ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with Self

___ I love life & feel it is an adventure. ___ I get through life & feel
it is a struggle.

___ The challenges of life energize me. ___ The challenges of life
wear me down.

___ I am in control of my life............... ___ I am a victim of my life.

___ I am in charge of my life................ ___ Others control my life

more than I do.

___ I take full charge of my life today... ___ I may/not be in charge

in the future.

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with Life ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with Life

___ I love my body as it is now.......... ___ I do not love (---) about

my body.

___ I am comfortable in my body....... ___ I am not comfortable in

my body.

___ I treat myself with kindness.......... ___ I do not treat myself

with kindness.

___ I enjoy leisure without guilt........... ___ I must always be doing

something.

___ I balance work and play easily..... ___ I use play to escape
work, vice versa.

___ I touch others with gentleness....... ___ I am not always gentle

with others.
___ TOTAL(+): Physical Landscape ___ TOTAL(-): Physical
Landscape

___ I love myself the way I am now....... ___ I do not love (---) about
myself.

___ I feel good about myself.................. ___ I do not feel good

about myself.

___ I feel complete today...................... ___ I feel I should have

done more today.

___ I feel happy and contented.............. ___ I feel OK but not truly
happy.

___ I feel surrounded by love................ ___ I do not feel

surrounded by love.

___ I am able to give and receive love... ___ I find it difficult to

express love.

___ I am emotionally calm and relaxed... ___ My emotions are

always stirred up.

___ I am emotionally supported............. ___ My emotions work

against me.

___ I can trust all of my emotions........... ___ I do not trust ALL of

my emotions.

___ TOTAL(+): Emotion Landscape ___ TOTAL(-): Emotional

Landscape

___ I like myself the way I am now........ ___ I do not like (---) about
myself.

___ I am at peace with myself................ ___ I should be more/do

more.
___ I am calm and tranquil..................... ___ My mind is always
racing.

___ I have great potential....................... ___ I feel I have used all

my potential.

___ I appreciate my mental abilities........ ___ My mind works

against me.

___ I can trust all of my thoughts............ ___ I do not trust ALL of

my thoughts.

___ TOTAL(+): Mental Landscape ___ TOTAL(-): Mental Landscape

___ I make wise choices....................... ___ I could have made

better choices.

___ I rejoice in my abilities.................... ___ I rejoice in my

possessions.

___ I can handle criticism with ease....... ___ Criticism makes me

angry/withdrawn.

___ I can handle conflict with ease......... ___ I avoid conflict at all
costs.

___ I face my fears confidently.............. ___ I avoid my fears at all

costs.

___ I work to overcome my fears.......... ___ I ignore fear rather

than work on it.

___ TOTAL(+): "Self Mastery" ___ TOTAL(-): "Self Mastery"

___ I have many talents......................... ___ I have some but not

many talents.

___ I am a resourceful person............... ___ I get by when I have to.

___ I am a capable person.................... ___ I do most things
satisfactorily.

___ I am a responsible person............... ___ Others should not rely

on me much.

___ I am an independent person............ ___ I am not self

supporting.

___ I make decisions confidently........... ___ I do not always trust

my decisions.

___ TOTAL(+): "Life Mastery" ___ TOTAL(-): "Life Mastery"

___ I have a great future....................... ___ Nothing much will

change for me.

___ I let serenity flow into my life.......... ___ I am waiting for

problems to happen.

___ I look forward to each new day..... ___ Today will be like
yesterday.

___ I feel great hope............................ ___ I feel things will remain

the same.

___ I am optimistic and alert................. ___ I am pessimistic and

wary.

___ I must control myself...................... ___ I must control others.

___ I can make things happen............... ___ I just let things

happen.

___ I meet change without fear.............. ___ I avoid change - I fear

change.

___ TOTAL(+): Creating Future ___ TOTAL(-): Creating Future

3-Calculate the TOTAL Score by filling in your results below.

___ TOTAL(+): Images/Emotions ....___ TOTAL(-): Self

Images/Emotions

___ TOTAL(+): Personal Attributes. ___ TOTAL(-): Personal

Attributes

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with God... ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with God

___ TOTAL(+): Relation w/ Others.. ___ TOTAL(-): Relation w/

Others

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with Self.... ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with Self

___ TOTAL(+): Relation with Life.... ___ TOTAL(-): Relation with Life

___ TOTAL(+): Physical Landscape. ___ TOTAL(-): Physical

Landscape

___ TOTAL(+): Emotion Landscape. ___ TOTAL(-): Emotion

Landscape

___ TOTAL(+): Mental Landscape... ___ TOTAL(-): Mental

Landscape

___ TOTAL(+): Self Mastery............ ___ TOTAL(-): Self Mastery

___ TOTAL(+): Life Mastery............ ___ TOTAL(-): Life Mastery

___ TOTAL(+): Creating the Future. ___ TOTAL(-): Creating the

Future

___ TOTAL(+): All Categories.......... ___ TOTAL(-): All Categories

___ Weighted: TOTAL(+) times 1..... ___ Weighted: TOTAL(-) times 2

___ GRAND TOTAL = Weighted TOTAL(+) - Weighted TOTAL(-)

Note: the "negative" statements are counted as TWO TIMES the

value of the "positive" statements.

That is because it takes twice as much "positive" thinking to

overcome the "negative" thoughts. The good news is that once the
"negative" internal weights are gone, there is no limit to how your
positive thinking will be able to transform your life.

4-Compare your GRAND TOTAL score to the ranges below to see

where you ended up after "running the gauntlet" of your beliefs.
The goal of doing this exercise quickly was to access the
unconscious part of your mind that always tells you the truth
about yourself. Remember: that for things to change, you must
change. To effect lasting change, you must change your beliefs for
they create your reality.

For Scores 819 to 318: Empowerment Range: You are the type
that says "life is fabulous". You only have teeny, tiny, minor
"blemishes" of negativity to clear away to make your wonderful life
even more magnificent.

For Scores 317 to 0: Achievement Range: You are the type that
says "life is good". It is good but it could be better because you
have noticeable "blotches" of negativity you need to eliminate. You
will be able to tell what they are by looking at your results. You
have enough self confidence to weed them out on your own.

For Scores 0 to -585: Existence Range: You are the type that says
"life is OK". It is only adequate because your negative beliefs,
thoughts, and emotions have made it that way. You have several
areas where negativity has taken firm root. You probably need
some help from counselors to overcome these blocks.

For Scores -586 to -1287: Struggle Range: You are the type that
says "life is hard". It is hard because your negative thoughts have
manifested struggle for you everywhere in your life. You definitely
need help from counselors.
For Scores -1288 to -1989: Disempowerment Range: You are the
type that says "life is terrible". You are a virtual prisoner of your
negative beliefs. For you "not feeling bad" would be a step up. You
absolutely need to stop everything you are doing right now, pick
up the phone, and get some counseling help!!!

ALL RIGTHS RESERVED

ÉDITIONS LUNIC

2003