One of the worst things that we all do is to constantly play
those old memories of all the mistakes we have made over and over in our minds.
This is particularly true if there have been preventable mistakes that may have
been driven by an addiction that was not being addressed or even recognized.
There is hurt on the part of the person that was harmed, but there is also a
lot of blame, negativity and even loathing towards oneself.

Being able to let go of these negative movies that are playing
over and over in our heads is one of the first steps in being able to forgive
ourselves and move forward into a more positive energy and space. This is not
always an easy task and for most people the help of a counselor or addiction
recovery therapist is required to get rid of the negativity and open up the
possibilities of bringing in the positive energy from the world around us.

One of the techniques that I discuss in my book, “The
Law of Sobriety” is the use of physical item to get rid of those negative
thoughts and mental pictures. Start by making a list of all the negative
thoughts, imagines and ideas you have about yourself. Write them down, in as
much detail as possible, on paper. The more details you provide the better the
exercise will work. Once you have all the negative thoughts that are blocking
the positives in your life down on paper go to the store and buy a metal box.
This can be cash box or any type of small metal box and it can have a lock if
you want, but it has to be seen as strong, durable and solid.

Imagine each of the negative thoughts on your paper being
transferred from your mind to the box. Feel the negativity leaving your body
and entering that strong, solid, impenetrable box. When all the thoughts are
stored in the box place the paper inside and lock the box up; never to be
opened again. Take the box to a dump and throw it away, riding yourself forever
of the negative energy in the box and opening up your life to the positives
around you.