The Power of Positive Self-Talk
What if you could have your own personal coach whispering words of encouragement to you every second of the day? What if you had your greatest supporter readily available at every corner to pick you up when you’re down and give you the extra oomph when self doubt creeps in? What accomplishments would you be able to achieve if every voice you heard was telling you to go for it, that nothing is impossible?
As our great Madiba once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.
So what if I were to tell you now, that the only reason it seems impossible is because of what you have told yourself is so. That voice in your head that kicks you when you’re down? That’s you. That whisper over the shoulder that questions your strength and ability? That’s you. And that voice that stops you from ever achieving something great with your life, realising your most awesomest of dreams? Yep, again – that’s all you.
We are our own worst critic. We know this already, so let’s turn this one around – we are also our own best motivator.
I just finished reading a book, “What to Say When You Talk to Yourself” by Shad Helmstetter and to say it has completely revolutionized the way I see my life and my own role in it, is an understatement. In the book Shad explains how we constantly sabotage ourselves with negative tapes playing over and over again in our subconscious minds. And he gives succinct tips on how to rewrite these tapes through the process of positive self talk. Let me explain.
Self-talk is the secret to realising any dream
Do you keep finding yourself falling short of attaining your goals? Maybe you can’t seem to lose those extra kilos, or your business or NPO is continually not reaching targets and you’re fearing for the future. Don’t blame a lack of time to exercise and don’t blame an insufficient stream of supports and donors, instead, turn your attention inwards.
How are you, the only one who wants nothing more than to reach your goals (or so you think) actually the only hurdle preventing you from reaching these very goals?
The secret lies in how you talk to yourself. This could entail expressed utterances, but mostly, check in with that little voice of your subconscious mind which thrives on negative thinking.
Before the age of 7 our brains are in a state of theta which is basically a hypnotic state. It is through osmosis and imitation that we learn about the outside world and everything in it. And it is during this state that family and those in our immediate environment condition us to believe and behave in a certain way. This is where the majority of our personal setbacks as adults originate from, that voice way deep inside that says we’re just not good enough, will never amount to much or are not worthy of love.
How to use self-talk to be your best self
Enter the power of positive self-talk. Positive affirmations are becoming all the hype these days, and it’s for a reason! There are two ways to reprogram the conditioning of the subconscious mind, either by heading back through induced hypnosis or through creating new habits of repetitive positive affirmations.
Affirmations in New Thought and New Age terminology refer primarily to the practice of positive thinking and self-empowerment—fostering a belief that “a positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything.”
So here’s some simple steps in using positive affirmations to create the reality you choose:
- Spend a week noting and writing down all the negative thoughts you have about yourself, watch what you say when you speak about yourself to others and record these in a journal.
- Take these negative statements and turn them into positive present tense affirmations, write these down in the next page of your journal.
- Choose the area of your life or self image that you want to improve and construct 10 positive self-talk phrases that will help you to think (and believe!) more strongly in your own strength. Check out these for ideas.
- Lastly, record yourself saying your positive affirmations (really feel their power and visualise the best possible scenario) and play these recordings to yourself three times a day, every day.
Even if your rational mind may take some time to convince, your subconscious mind will slowly get to work rewriting years of conditioning and self sabotaging statements.
It may take a few weeks, but once you have your own self-esteem in check, share this method with your team and spread positivity through your business or NPO.
What positive affirmations will you use for your NPO? Share them in the comments section below.
