The messages that we give to ourselves are the most important messages we hear. The internal briefings and conversations we hold determine our attitudes, our behavior and the course of our lives. If, as children, we were criticized and shamed, our internal dialogue will be self-deprecating. If we are used to large doses of self-imposed sarcasm and negative reviews of our daily performance, we gradually mutilate our self-esteem, our creativity and our spirit. As adult children of alcoholics, we can continue to remain in the past and believe the negatives that we were taught; or we can change our beliefs with affirmative thoughts that can set us free into better and more expansive experiences. What we choose to believe will ultimately rule our world. Affirmations are a way to wake us up--to make us fully conscious and aware of the daily choices we make. And, as we learn to direct our thoughts, our feelings and behavior will naturally follow.