Have you ever been hard on yourself? Told yourself negative things about yourself? I think most of us have at one point or another. But something that successful people often share in common is the fact that they tend to practice positive self-talk.
Super habit #40 is simple. Talk nice to yourself. Rather than focusing on your negative qualities, look for, and praise the positive. That voice inside your head makes a huge impact to who you are, and who you can become.
How to Start Practicing Positive Self-Talk
I’m going to be honest. I don’t go around talking to myself about how good I am, and how great life is. But over the years I have learned how to turn the negative voices in my head around. In fact, after being a child victim of an extreme religious cult, I had a lot of negative voices. I’m happy to say that those voices have been replaced. Here’s how:
- The negative voices are liars: I could tell you that learning how to practice self-talk is as easy as focusing on the positive things in your life. That would be a lie. It’s hard to focus on the positive if you’re being bombarded with negative thoughts and voices. So how do you delete the negative? It’s hard. But the key is in understanding that the negative voices are lies. So before you can truly focus on the positive, you have to come to this realization. The negative voices are lies.
- Focus on the positive: The second step in learning to practice positive self-talk is to accentuate the positive. Think of the good things you have. Think about what you have accomplished. Even if it feels like it’s not much, by focusing on the positive, you begin to see that you have more going fo you than you first thought.
What Should I Say to Myself?
Once you begin to accentuate the positive, you need some mantras. Here are some ideas:
- I am highly capable.
- My actions are leading me in the right direction.
- I know myself and I am good enough.
- My life is unfolding in a right way.
- I choose to think thoughts that serve me well.
- My body is important and I will take good care of it.
- I am confident.
- My talents will fulfill my desires.
- I choose to reach for something greater.
We will all differ in the things we say to ourselves. The point is that our self-talk needs to be positive. The more positive self-talk you practice, the more you truly believe in yourself.
When the Negative Sneaks Back In
Life is not perfect. The negative voices will slip back into your head. Remember, the negative voices are liars. Call them out. Tell them off.
I took me many years of repeating this process to get rid of the negative voices in my head. And they still sneak back from time to time. But like anything, the more you practice, the better you become. Now I can sense those negative thoughts sooner and kick them to the curb quicker.
I encourage you to practice positive self-talk. You’ll become more grateful and confident. And those are both traits of highly successful people.
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