If you've been good to yourself, you have saved cards, letters, gifts, invitations, Post-It notes, napkins, and other mementos that remind you of happy times, good people, and loving moments. If you have not done this in the past, today is the day to start.

Think back to the birthday card that had a message from a friend that stopped you in your tracks. Remember? It said a few things that shocked even you. Remember that simple memo from your supervisor last year that congratulated you on your creative work in solving that problem in the office? Where are they? Where did you put them?

Letters, Cards, Memos, Photos, and Stories

If you do not already have a box or some type of safe container in which to place your letters, cards, and memos, go out today and find something in which to keep these memories.

In this box, you will begin to keep your birthday cards, anniversary cards, holiday greetings, personal letters, memos from colleagues at work, newspaper clippings, quotes, and inspirational stories that make you feel good.

Every time your receive something that brings warmth to your life, put it in the box. This could be a family photo, photos you find in magazines or newspapers that remind you of something wonderful, or photos that friends send of their families. Your box can contain stories, quotes, poems, and essays that made you stop and think about positive things. Perhaps you read a moving one-line quote that really provoked a strong image. Cut it out, tape it to a sheet of paper, and stick it in your box.

Remember, your box is not necessarily for today; your box is a gift to yourself for tomorrow. It is a place to stick things that otherwise would be lost or not kept at all. It is a place that you can visit weeks, months, or even years later. It is a hope chest for your soul.

Your Funny File

In addition to your box, you may want to keep a file in your drawer of funny cartoons, humorous sayings, and happy stories that just make you tingle all over when you read them. Keeping a sense of humor helps enhance your self-esteem, promotes creativity, relieves stress, and in general keeps balance in your life.

You've seen funny quotes and cartoons for years. But when you try to remember what they said or what the caption of the cartoon was, your memory fails you. Your funny file should be a place where you can go on bad or depressing days to just look over things that have brought you laughter and joy in the past.

You will be amazed at how quickly your funny file or memento box can take away the negative and sad moments of the day.

Your Victory File or Wall

Your victory file is a place to keep every commendation, positive comment, certificate, degree, award, or comment from your professional and personal life.

This file may contain certificates from high school, the Boy or Girl Scouts, places where you volunteered, or awards from work. Basically, your victory file is a file of your recognition of accomplishments for your service to humanity and to yourself.

Where is your high school diploma? Where is that certificate you got for five years of service at work? Where is that “World's Greatest Mom” poster your child bought or made for you years ago? These are the types of things that go in your victory file.

A victory wall will contain the same types of accolades as your victory file, except that you can display your things so that you can see them on a daily basis. Your victory wall may contain photos of friends, framed certificates and awards, framed diplomas or degrees, framed newspaper clippings in which you may have been mentioned, placards with positive quotes, or photos of your friends, family, or pets.

This wall is a mosaic of your past. It is a mural of your life's work. It is a visual reminder of the good, positive, loving, warm, caring things that you have done and that you have in your life.

Your victory wall does not have to be “designer” perfect. It is a work in progress. The frames do not have to match, the lines of design need not apply; this is a wall that is alive with all that you have been and all that you will do.

Your victory wall should be in a part of the house where you sit to think, work, meditate, and/or relax. It should be in a place where you feel comfortable adding things and moving things around.