They say that talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. I know I’ve been known to have conversations with myself out loud (hey, I
didn’t grow up with siblings, okay?), but I’ve never thought of myself as crazy. To be honest, it’s the self-talk that goes on in my head on a regular basis that can often be the stuff that drives me crazy!
You know what I’m talking about. The thoughts that tell you “that was a really dumb thing to say” or have you wondering “what he or she really meant by that?” Negative self-talk can be a dream killer, a self-conscious magnifying glass and meaner and crueler than anyone you have ever encountered. We are our worst critics. There’s nothing that anyone can say to us that we probably haven’t already thought of ourselves!
Why do we do this to ourselves? I haven’t really come up with an explanation that satisfies me yet. What I do know is that we need to retrain our minds and stop being so self-deprecating. What good does it do us to put ourselves down? Does it make us feel good about ourselves? Absolutely not! Is it helping us to progress in life and grow to become stronger, wiser versions of us? Hell no! So why do we continue to do it? Why is it easier for us to put ourselves down rather than become our own cheerleaders and remind ourselves of how amazing we are?
I know that we’ve all been told not to be boastful. That bragging about our accomplishments is not something that decent people do. Well you’re going to have to pardon me for a moment while I call BULLSHIT on that line of thinking! As Marianne Williamson says in her ever-quoted excerpt from her book A Return to Love “You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.” Did you get that? If not, read it again (go on, I’ll wait…). If you want to read the entire passage, you can find it here. (Scroll to the bottom of the page.)
Remind yourself of how great you are. If you don’t believe it, fake it until you do! Create some affirmations and stick them where you’ll see them on a regular basis. Remember that greatness is contagious. You’re celebrations of accomplishments, big and small, will motivate and inspire others, whether you know it or not! Tell those negative voices in your head to SHUT THE HELL UP! Tell them and yourself that you will no longer entertain beliefs that don’t serve you. If a thought enters your mind that doesn’t move you forward, look for another one that does.
Stop allowing you own thoughts from holding you back from the life you want and deserve. It’s all up to you. You have the power to control the thoughts that enter your mind. Embrace that power and use it to your benefit! You’ll be amazed at what happens when you control that inner dialogue, get out of your head and get on with living the life that you want!
If you need help with this, I invite you to join me on March 29 for my Get Out of Your Own Way workshop! For more information, click here.