Self-talk

Everyone slips up from time to time.

EVERYONE! 😊

It can be anything:

Snapping at someone.

Eating too many snacks.

Having too much to drink.

Losing your patience.

Being in a hurry and dropping an armful of stuff.

Fighting with your spouse over something foolish.

The list is long.

We’ve all been there. None of us are perfect. We make poor choices or end up in a mess we created from time to time.

Some mistakes are more significant than others.

It’s how we deal with it that matters.

I used to beat myself up when I made a mistake. I'd say awful, critical things in my head, making myself feel stupid or ashamed. And it would get stuck in a loop, over and over.

I watched my mom do the same. She would berate herself for a mistake or a mishap and get disappointed in herself for not being perfect, as if perfection were something actually attainable.

When I finally started to get the hang of reining in my insulting self-attacks, the “nasties” would still mouth off in the background of my mind, mudslinging at my subconscious.

Jerks.

Truthfully, it takes a lot of awareness and effort to “capture every thought.” But man, oh man, is it worth the work.

First, you have to be aware of what you are doing—the damage you are doing, because you are doing some serious damage that you don’t deserve.

Then, you must take steps to stop it. This can be daunting. And it can take some time.  But you must do what has to be done in order to free yourself from the prison of self-sabotage.

You literally have to capture every single one of your thoughts. You must become an observer of your thinking, really watch what your mind is saying… continually.

Pay attention to what you think of yourself and to what your subconscious has been programmed to say about you.

We ultimately come to believe whatever we hear over and over.

Retraining your “stinking thinking,” as Joyce Meyer calls it, and making self-awareness a regular practice, takes hard and consistent work.

New habits require commitment, attention, and daily effort.

“On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. The time it takes for a new habit to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. In Phillipa Lally’s study, it took anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for people to form a new habit,” according to an article written by James Clear - https://jamesclear.com/newhabit#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20it%20takes%20more,to%20form%20a%20new%20habit

Sure, it’s hard work, but it is doable and worth the effort. It will take you to a higher level and remove the burden of negativity from your mind.

Once you notice what you are ACTUALLY saying to yourself and how MUCH you are saying it, it can often be the only motivation you need to make significant changes.

Taking the time to notice gives us pause. When we notice something, whether our thoughts or the way the clouds hang in the sky, we pause.

It is in the pause of noticing our thoughts that we can finally start to change them.

Pause is power.

Reversing negative self-talk is a multi-step journey that can dramatically change your life. If you find yourself a victim of the overload of negative self-talk, you must improve what you say to yourself. Make it a point to be curious about the patterns in your mind. Notice what you are telling yourself ...about yourself.

Your future self needs you!

We spend more time with ourselves than we do with anyone else. Think about that. You will never get away from yourself. You will always be with YOU!

Why not make the most of your time and fill it with positivity?

Imagine the changes you’ll see in your life. Imagine how it will feel when you become your own cheerleader and encourage yourself every day.

Slay the self-sabotaging dragons and change the recordings in your mind. You’ll be glad you did!