How often, in the attempt for self-improvement, do we criticize ourselves for our mistakes: “How foolish of me! How could I be so thoughtless?” At times, we might even have the same thought about someone else: “How could they do this thing? So inconsiderate!” A few years ago, I became aware that I was holding some negative thoughts about myself and others, and I was surprised when on the heels of them came a spiritual lesson with many wonderful applications.

Like anywhere else, driving near my home can be frustrating, as many people speed, run red lights, or cut off other drivers. On one occasion, watching a driver pull out sharply in front of another, I mentally labeled the individual as thoughtless. But then I thought back to my own morning, when I had forgotten an appointment and made a colleague wait for me. Was I any less thoughtless?

As I considered this, I had to ask myself, “Are these recriminations seeing the true view about God’s perfection expressed in my fellow man?” They weren’t, of course. Thoughts of condemnation were not the way to see the truth about the unknown driver as a considerate expression of God, or the way to see the truth about myself.

Although critical impulses often arise from the desire to do and be better, a spiritual look at these sentiments shows that they do not tell the truth about us or about others. In her book Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy clarified the need to see the connection between “a perfect Principle and idea, — perfect God and perfect man” (p. 259). Elsewhere, she wrote, “Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals” (pp. 476-477). The example Jesus set, of beholding only perfection, is what we must strive for – and often, it’s hardest to try to see it about ourselves!

As I sought to mentally refresh my definition of myself, the truth became suddenly clear: I couldn’t be thoughtless. Science and Health defines angels, in part, as “God’s thoughts passing to man” (p. 581). As the recipient of a constant stream of loving and inspiring angel thoughts, I must be full of good thoughts. And so must everyone else.

After realizing the impossibility of being without God’s divine direction guiding me, I wondered what other things I thought I lacked, but which were in reality brimming from divine Love’s supply. As I thought about this idea for the next few days, I found the answers were everywhere.

Sometimes, reading the news, I would feel hopeless – but I knew that spiritually, I was filled with God’s inexhaustible gift of hope. And this certainty of the presence of hope, in me and in the rest of the world, moved me to pray about those situations which had previously left me disheartened. I knew the bleak portrayals I was reading did not reflect the truth of God’s creation.

Divine Life made me hope-full. When I forgot something, or clumsily knocked something over, I was often quick to believe myself careless, but the angel thought reminded me that I am full of love, expressing my care for everything that God has made. Divine Love made me care-full. When I felt vulnerable in the face of pain or fear, thinking my prayers could not be enough to meet a particular challenge, Love reminded me that I could not be helpless with God’s loving presence bearing me up at every moment. God’s Spirit made me help-full.

Each following day, I saw more of the true aspects that God’s children, including myself, express. We are joyful, truthful, trustful, merciful, beautiful, cheerful, graceful, peaceful, faithful, purposeful. And reading the weekly Christian Science Bible lesson one day, I found a whole new, wonderful meaning to Jesus’ words: “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matt. 5:17). Indeed, as I recognized the gifts of God, I realized that we are full-filled: filled to the brim with joy, hope, grace, wonder, beauty, and gratitude. There is no room within our being, full as we are with these qualities, for any un-Godlike traits.

This line of thinking has been particularly helpful in handling thoughts of fear or pain. For example, one day I was praying about a physical issue and remonstrating myself for not having found the time for spiritual study that day. Surely if I had, I thought, I would not be so susceptible to these awful feelings. My thinking would be more focused on God, more filled with thoughts of spirituality.

Once again, the angel idea came. “You can never be unmindful of God,” it said. “God IS Mind, and you, as His precious, perfect child, are always, always connected to Mind.” What a relief it was to realize that!

I’m grateful that we’re all blessed by such a glorious array of God’s qualities. There can be no challenge in expressing those ideals – mindfulness, purposefulness, joyfulness—which are all naturally within us!