Positives

In light of what I wrote last week, I think it's appropriate to mention that Elul is a good time to focus on how far you've come in the last year. Don't just look back on all of the good that you set out to do and didn't accomplish. Focusing on the negative creates an energy of disappointment. And while that may be appropriate for a proper teshuvah and charatah on Yom Kippur, when asking for a kesiva vechasimah tovah from HaShem you must realize whether or not you deserve it. Did you use this past year to your advantage with what you were given? If not, then the charatah is more important, but don't forget what you were able to accomplish and what you did use properly.