Rules for Conquest of Self-Love by Fr. Bertrand Wilberforce, O.P.
1. In general, strive to learn to refuse to nature everything not necessary.
2. Strive to give to self everything he would refuse without reason through whim or mere inclination.
3. Self asks some minutes' rest after being called : refuse even a second.
4. Self wants to consult ease and comfort in sitting or lying: do not listen.
5. Self wants to indulge comfort of posture in prayer: refuse.
6. Self suggests that prayer might be shortened: if possible prolong it.
7. There is one bit on your plate self most fancies: offer it to Jesus.
8. Hunger makes your mouth water: wait a little: eat slowly.
9. Self feels down and low: sing.
10. Self is grumpy and cross: laugh.
11. Self longs to speak, to say a sharp thing: be silent.
12. Self tempts you to be melancholy: for love of Jesus be sweet and joyful.
13. Self wants revenge: do good.
14. Self is offended with some one: look kindly at him.
15. Self wants to say an unkind thing of some one: say a kind one or be silent.
16. Self wishes to avoid meeting some one: take him to the meeting.
17. Self desires to speak bitterly: make him speak kindly.
18. Self wants to take a slight revenge, to pay some one out: be obliging and polite.
19. It costs self-love something to do an obliging thing, or it goes against sloth: double reason for doing it.
20. Everything seems to make you impatient: be equal in your humour.
21. Self seems all alive and in great eagerness to act or speak in haste: wait, let the storm pass.
22. Self wants to walk quickly, to recite quickly, to do this work or this thing quickly: go more slowly.
23. Something is said around you that excites curiosity: do not listen, offer it to our Lord.
24. There is some interesting object or something that everyone is running to see: do not look, go not one step to look.
25. You much want to pick this flower: leave it."
Source: Life and Letters of Pr. Bertrand Wilberforce, O.P. (Sands & Co. Ios. 6d.)
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