Francine Ward - 52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts. A Guide to Right Living

52 W EEKS

of

Esteemable Acts

of

Esteemable Acts

A Guide to Right Living

F RANCINE W ARD

Hazelden Publishing

Center City, Minnesota 55012

800-328-9000
hazelden.org/bookstore

2005 by Francine Ward

All rights reserved. Electronic edition published 2012

Produced in the United States of America

No part of this electronic publication may be copied, sold, or redistributed in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher. Failure to comply with these terms may expose you to legal action and damages for copyright infringement.

Aside from personal experiences shared by the author, the vignettes in this book are composites of actual situations. Any resemblance to specific persons, living or dead, or to specific events is purely coincidental.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ward, Francine.

52 weeks of esteemable acts : a guide to right living /

Francine Ward.

p. cm.

ISBN-10: 1-59285-290-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-59285-290-1

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61649-443-8

1. Self-esteem. 2. Conduct of life. I. Title: Fifty two weeks of esteemable acts. II. Title.

BF697.5.S46W36 2005

170.44dc22

2005046348

Cover design by David Spohn

Cover illustration by Mark Severin

Dedication

I dedicate this book to the following people:

E FFIE W ARD, my grandmother, who was my rock.

She taught me that if you know how to make something,

youll always be able to take care of yourself.

Shed be proud of what Ive made of my life.

L OUISE R OBERTSON, who was relentless in her love for me

and never stopped seeing the gifts I had buried deep inside.

D R. P AUL, who saw me as an author and a communicator long before I did.

Thank you.

Its hard to believe this is the second book in the Esteemable Acts series. It lives and breathes thanks to the support, love, guidance, inspiration, and encouragement of so many people. As always, its hard to thank every single person who played a part in this book becoming a reality. My hope is if your name is missed, you will know that at the moment you supported me, you were already thanked a million times and that you will forever remain in my heart.

My husband, Richard, a truly giving and loving spirit, and a great dad to my cats. Thanks for being one of the good guys.

My mother, an amazing woman and someone I get to call my friend.

Carole Bidnick, my incredible agent, who has never stopped believing in me.

Becky Post, my editor, who made writing this book a really wonderful experience.

Kate Kjorlien, my fabulous manuscript editor, for being exceptionally patient with every change I made.

Peggy Byrne for being there when I needed her, for having the courage to tell me the truth, and for having me write a weekly gratitude and fear list, even when I didnt want to.

Patricia Broat, who gave me an audience and a wonderful opportunity through the Women Healing Conferences.

My friend Lorraine Friedman, who continues to show me that leaving the practice of law was not a mistake.

My friend Brenda Ferreira for being another courageous woman.

My Aunt Val and Uncle Usher for providing me with a light when I couldnt see.

The Reverend Elouise Oliver and the Reverend Andriette Earl for having the courage to tell the truth and be real from the pulpit. Your examples keep me coming back.

Wendy Merrill for her amazing editorial insight.

The Marin Sunrise Club of Rotary for being a wonderful example of service above self.

All the people who look at me and say, If she can do it, I can do it.

All the women, men, and teenage girls who ask me for guidance and all those who use ityou are the reason I give and you are the reason I keep on giving.

The men and women who have lost their way and need guidance; those who have found their way and need a little support in taking action; those who are on the path and need a reminder to stay the courseI am here for you.

My accountability buddies who share this path with me, who keep me going when Id rather give up: Diane Parente, Stephanie Covington, Marilee Driscoll, Lois Nightingale, Nili Sachs, Michelle Anton. To you, ladies, I say thank you.

Finally, everyone who has ever loved, inspired, motivated, supported, encouraged, or believed in me. Your love and strength carries me further than you know. Thank you.

Hello, and welcome to the world of esteemable acts. If you picked up this book, you have not done so by mistake. You have arrived here by divine appointment.

Before moving ahead, I invite you to say the following words to yourself to get you ready for whats ahead.

Spirit, please guide my heart as I take away what needs to be taken from this experience, and guide my hand as I write what needs to be written. There is a divine plan for my life that is now unfolding. I know that you love me just the way I am, not when I become what I perceive as perfect, but right now. I am thanking you in advance for your favor, your love, and your guidance in this moment. I am willing to do the work that lies ahead with an honest and open heart.

The esteemable acts approach is a fresh new way to build self-esteem, one that suggests self-esteem comes from doing esteemable acts, those things that make you feel good about yourself. Based on the concepts that led to my recovery from drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, low self-esteem, and codependence, esteemable acts is a courageous new path to freedom. It really works.

Over the next fifty-two weeks, youll be invited to take actionsesteemable actionsthat will move you past your limitations to a place youve never known. Along the way, youll meet many amazing people. The most incredible person youll meet is you.

Each week, youll focus on a particular topic. There may be times when the work will appear to be more than you can handle. Do the best you can. Its your journey.

There are five basic principles of esteemable acts that will surface throughout your reading: