Excerpts from The Day After Tomorrow:
Chapter 1:
"Julia! For the last time.......WAKE UP!"
Who is that yelling at me? As I lay there with the pillow over my head, I realize it's my mother. Okay. Who am I? Julia Leigh Monroe. What day is it? Tuesday. And why do I have to get up? Oh yeah, it's the first day of school. Oh No! That's right! It's the first day of school. Oh my God - I have to go to high school today! NO WAY! What was wrong with middle school? I don't want to be in the 9th grade. I know all of my friends will be there with me, but this is way too much for one day! Yuk! Now I have to deal with the older kids again; the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Then there's me, the little freshman.
Chapter 15:
"Forgiveness is not about the other person. Forgiveness is for you and you alone."
"I don't get it."
"Think about it Julia, When you refuse to forgive someone for what they have done or said, who does it hurt? Do you think the other person is actually feeling anything because you are not forgiving them? No. In reality, you are the one that will feel it. The anger will continue to grow inside of you, you'll keep thinking about it over and over, and then the next thing you know it turns into this huge ugly monster, called 'resentment'."
Chapter 18:
"If you understand why we forgive other people, then forgiving yourself is a no-brainer. Think about how many times a day you are hard on yourself or you call yourself names. Just because you are not saying it out loud doesn't mean it's not having an effect on you. It's actually quite the opposite - thinking like that about yourself will have an even bigger effect on you. If you treated other people the way you treated yourself, you'd be the loneliest girl in the world - and I say that with all the love in my heart."
"Julia forgiveness is usually necessary in all situations, especially when we self sabotage. When you realize you are beating yourself up, that is when you need to stop and pray for forgiveness and ask for help to see it differently. I can't stress to you how important this is. It truly can mean life or death. By choosing forgiveness, your life will be the most amazing experience, just like it is meant to be. However, if you choose to continue placing judgments on yourself and others, you will be miserable - sort of like a slow death. Like the virus - spreading misery throughout your body."
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