Home Certification Testimonials Info-Link: Smoking Info-Link: Stress Info-Link: The Process Info-Link: Weight Control
Info-Link: Hypnosis in a Nutshell Self-Hypnosis CD
How
Do You Talk to Yourself?
"Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda, Star Wars
It hurts me when I hear people calling themselves stupid, lazy, or any number of other personal insults. I'm sure you have overheard that type of negative self-talk or maybe you do that to yourself.
What do you say when you talk to yourself? Are you kind to yourself or are you mean to yourself? Do you criticize yourself for making a mistake or for not doing something perfectly? Are you listening to what you say to yourself?
If you notice what you say to yourself, where do you suppose it came from? Whether you feel confident or inadequate, loved or unacceptable, you have undoubtedly absorbed many of these ideas early in life from someone else. Our early exposure and subconscious programming of comments from a parent, a babysitter, a family acquaintance or whoever, can affect us the rest of our lives.
This is important for a number of reasons. Whatever your opinion of yourself is, you limit your satisfaction and success in life to those boundaries. You also teach others to treat you in a manner consistent with your subconscious beliefs. And it doesn't stop there—we affect the lives of our children by how we talk to them. Words are important!
I hope you are nice to yourself and love yourself. The truth is, though, many of us have to learn how to do this. We have been exposed to much negativity that translates to self-destructive attitudes. If you see how much your life may be limited by your internal dialogue, it may become important to you to unlearn negativity and reframe your ideas about your worth and your abilities.
Self-talk is waking hypnosis and you can learn to hold a more respectful opinion of yourself.
If you don't know what you are saying to yourself, start with paying attention. Some clues that you may be holding deep-seated negativity or low self-esteem can be revealed by what you say, either out loud or in your mind. For example, if you notice that you frequently "try" to do things without success or if you often say "I can't", to yourself, these are red flags. What would happen if you decided to stop and replace those "I can'ts" with ideas like "I can do this" and “I am worthwhile."
The statement, "I'll try" implies failure, or to be more accurate, lack of commitment. Contemporary philosophers, including Yoda, point out the futility of trying. If you want to feel more optimistic, the mental attitude to adopt is that of doing, not trying. This is useful for losing weight, quitting smoking, gaining control over pain, or working toward any goal.
Maybe you already have a powerful positive successful formula, and that would be great to know. If not, you will be nicer to yourself and others if you identify a negative self-image and correct it.
For more information, you can call Lainey at Circleville Hypnotherapy, at 740-474-3417 or email her at eebright@columbus.rr.com