The truth is, we’re all using self-talk all of the time.
It doesn’t matter if it is out loud or to yourself, we are talking to ourselves. Without really thinking about it we are either carrying on a running conversation with ourselves or we are telling ourselves something, and it could be true or it could be false. It could be positive or it could be negative.
The words you say, especially the words you say when you talk to yourself, not only change your day, they change your life….
I remember when I was a teenager and had a serious case of acne on my face and back. I was taking medication for the acne that dried out my skin, left me with cracked lips, and turned my face bright red. Needless to say, when I looked in the mirror in the mornings my self talk was very negative. I would say things like;
- “Man, you are one ugly dude.”
- “There is no way in hell any girl would ever be attracted to me.”
- “Oh my God, that zit on my forehead looks like Mount St. Helens ready to explode.”
- “My face is so red I look like a tomato.”
- “You will never amount to anything looking like that.”
No wonder my high school years weren’t very memorable for me or frankly very positive, because thoughts I had about myself were usually negative.
What I did not realize or understand back then is that the thoughts you think and the words you say physically and chemically change your brain, which literally wires your brain to succeed or fail. Your thoughts wire and change your brain!
Behavioral research suggests that over 90% of everything we think is an unconscious replay of the programs that are already wired into our brains. Many of those programs are false, negative programs, and most of them were put there by someone else. So let’s define what self-talk is in the first place.
Definition of Self Talk
It is the direction you give to your brain that tells it how to run your life. It is everything you say when you talk to yourself. It is the conscious and unconscious thoughts you think, it is what you say out loud or what you say silently to yourself. It is everything you say and think about how you feel about yourself and what you think and believe about anything and everything. Its about managing ALL of the thoughts that are being wired into your brain.
What we want our self-talk to be is the positive self directed, neuron patterning, personal mind-brain programming! Instructions to your brain telling it exactly what you choose to do, with detailed action steps that put you in control.
Question:
Imagine what would happen if the way you talked to yourself today would create the person you would meet in the mirror tomorrow? The self-talk you practice today will create the YOU you’re going to become tomorrow. Are you talking to yourself like I did to myself as a teenager or are you empowering yourself each day?
Unfortunately, it is estimated that as much as 75% or more of all of the programs each of us has right now are negative, false, counter-productive, or working against us. Negative self-talk tells us that we deserve LESS than the best and what we don’t deserve. I believe with all my heart, that every person was created and designed to succeed and excel. The reality of life is that blessings are given out in direct proportion to our intention of receiving them, our willingness to work for them and our willingness to believe in them. You accept and create what you believe you deserve.
What does self-talk actually do for you?
It helps to paint a new picture of who you’re choosing to become. The brain listens best to directions that are specific and detailed. The better your brain can see it, the better it can help you create it. Your brain will work hardest at helping you achieve those things that you can most clearly imagine.
Repetition
Repetition is the key to wiring or rewiring your brain in the right way because of the way the neuro pathways are formed in the brain. Neuro pathways are formed in the brain by repeatedly sending electrical and chemical messages (your thoughts) over the same route, like building a highway. Research has shown that thinking positively, physically grows new neurons in the left pre-fontal cortex of your brain, and boosts your ability to see alternative solutions. That increases your chances of making better choices and being more successful.
Reading positive self-talk everyday does these eight huge things for you:
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- Sets up your brain in a neurologically healthy way. Resets focus for you.
- Opens your mind to positive new ideas that the self-talk messages inspire.
- Changes what you believe about yourself.
- Gives you an immediate attitude adjustment. Your self-talk directs your attitude and your attitude directs your day.
- When you change your attitude, you change your feelings.
- When you change your feelings, you change your actions.
- When you change your actions, you change your results.
- Wiring your brain to be more positive allows you to open your brain to alternative solutions. You look for more successful outcomes until a solution is found.
Examples of positive self-talk:
“I choose to be successful in some way today. I see mistakes as learning opportunities, problems only as challenges, setbacks as do overs, and limitations as a chance to seek new ways to make things happen. Everyday is an open door to my unlimited future, and becoming the awe inspiring me I was created to be.”
“I can’t wait to greet the new day each morning. I have big, bodacious goals, dreams, and endless possibilities in front of me and I choose today to make my dreams become a reality. So when I wake up each day, I get up and just do it!”
Use these examples to begin talking to yourself more positively. This will jump-start the process of rewiring your brain for success.
Take Action
For many people, it is difficult to implement the strategies I outlined above. Reading tips about how to improve your self-talk is one thing, actually taking action steps toward this goal is an entirely different thing. If you need help carrying out these steps, a life coach may be exactly what you need. I would love to help you on your journey toward positivity and reaffirming self-talk. Follow the link below to find out more about how having a life coach can help you succeed in nearly every aspect of your life! https://richcavaness.com/
