Intentional Self Talk

How intentional are you with your self talk?

Our own voices are so familiar, that we often don't even realize what we are saying to ourself. In past videos, I've talked about the "story" we tell ourself. But, sometimes this isn't a "story". It's just a sentence or a phrase. It's our inner dialogue, inner self-talk, inner critic. Whatever label connects with you, use it. The "story" concept relates to me, but I felt like the shorter self-talk was slipping through the cracks. And I needed to get a handle on it. So, I got curious.

I stopped when something small would trigger some inner self-talk or negative emotions. A loved one said something to me that I interpreted negatively and I had to ask myself if I really believed that they meant it that way. Would they really say something with THAT negative meaning behind it? No! Of course not.

My brain was simply offering up a negative interpretation. Why would my brain do that? Well, because that's what it's designed to do. Our caveman brain is designed to keep us safe from danger. And it still functions that way for us today. In an effort to keep us safe, it will provide a negative interpretation. Best to error on the side of caution. Thank you brain!

We have to be very diligent and intentional with our thoughts. We can pick up something someone said and take it to mean something negative and without realizing it, we start telling ourselves this story. We start saying this negative thing to ourselves, without even realizing it. And in an effort to be efficient, our brain will look for evidence for this negative thought. This reinforces this negative thinking, making it even harder to catch and to stop. 

Nothing has gone wrong, there is nothing wrong with you! Even though I study and practice these tools daily, this still happens to me. 

In an effort to create a Positive Thought Intention, I'm issuing a challenge. I'll be doing this along with you, so we'll all check back in 30 days. 

1. Find a thought, sentence, or phrase that you want to tell yourself every day.

2. Write it on a post-it or notecard.

3. Place it next to your toothbrush. 

4. Read it everyday while you brush your teeth. 

This will reinforce this positive or neutral thought and your brain will start searching for evidence to prove it true. Imagine being intentional every single day...with something so simple. Yet, it will be so impactful. 

This is feeding right into how our brain is already designed to work. If it wants to seek evidence, let's give it a mission to find the evidence that will create a better outcome. 

I have chosen the thought "I love my life". I have it written down and placed next to my toothbrush. I will share videos in the next few weeks of my progress. I'll be tracking my first sign of evidence and maybe my 10th sign.

A colleague of mine recently chose "Miracles are Everywhere". Imagine when you start to see miracles everywhere. Even the smallest of miracles, by shear definition, will change your life. You get to chose your own thought, sentence, or phrase. 

I'm so excited to venture out on this journey with you guys. I can't wait to hear about your changes, your signs or evidence. 

Let's do this!