Self talk - what we choose to listen to.

What we choose to think about ourselves and how we choose to feel about ourselves defines us and influences everything we do and believe.

Notice that it is about choice.

Our thoughts in themselves are just thoughts… both random and in patterns, they are not ultimately who we are.

Sometimes we think they are.

Our thoughts and our feelings are like clouds in the sky… they come and go… but they are not the sky itself, just as our thoughts and feelings are not who we are.

Slow down...

Take a few moments just to sit and watch the clouds go by (or on this video - below)...

Notice how they come and go, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Even on an overcast day, we know that the sky is behind the clouds and that at some point the clouds will move on.

Why is self talk so important?

Negative self talk (demotivating) stops us from feeling good about ourselves and stops us from doing well, particularly when it continues over a period of time.

By changing how we think about ourselves - we can identify what is holding us back, and create strategies for moving forward.

Self talk is just the story of thoughts that pop in and out of our heads. They can be instructional (do this, this, then this) or motivational/ demotivational ("I can do this"/ "I’m so stupid") in nature.

The key thing to remember is that these are not who we are, and they often aren't even our words.

We can choose which ones (if any) to listen to. The challenge is when we are in the habit of listening to negative self talk - or worse, say it out loud. Habits are hard to break.

Personal negative self-talk are the things we say to ourselves that cause us to doubt our worth or our ability. It’s important to explore thoughts that do this.