MYTH: Self-Talk is Overrated

"I AM" are possibly the two most powerful words because what you put after them shapes your reality. By your reality, I mean your thoughts, your attitudes and your actions. I wonder what, in this moment, you would say after the words "I am"...I wonder what you may have said yesterday after the words "I am"...I wonder what you may say for tomorrow?

We all fall into the trap of thinking that the thoughts we tell ourselves are fleeting and irrelevant. OR, are true and unchangeable. 

DID YOU KNOW?

• We have between 150 and 300 thoughts about and to ourselves per minute. That means around 30,000 per day.

• 70% of these words are negative, and out of those 70%, 70% are subconscious thoughts that we tell ourselves, I.e. You aren't aware you\re having them.

• Oh, and one more thing, you repeat the same things to yourself 95% of the time. So, it's more than likely that you're repeating those negative things about yourself to yourself.

Words have power. And although most of the time we don't speak words out loud to ourselves (although, no judgement if you do!), the thoughts we have are just as powerful because they're the words we're speaking to our inner selves which shape our outer reality.

Think about what would happen if you spoke to one of your closest friends, 21,000 negative words to them over a period of one day. Imagine the damage that would do. Imagine the lies that you would have to come up with to fulfil such a task. Imagine the effect that would have on their emotional health.

Positive self-talk is essential to our emotional health because our emotional health is a tapestry of mind, body, soul and spirit interwoven together.

However, positive self-talk can only begin with self-awareness: I.e. The awareness of what we're actually speaking to ourselves.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says "take every thought captive"

I love detective, spy, thriller, dramas. And so, I love this imagery because I imagine literally taking every thought captive by sitting it down, grilling and questioning it about its intentions and its origin, it's purposes and perceived power. By the way, I mean the thoughts you have when you catch the reflection of yourself in the mirror, when you make a mistake at school or work, when you think you overhear someone talking about you...

Only then do we become aware of what thoughts we're having, when we're intentionally looking out for them. Only then can we tell whether it's positive or negative and trade it for what is truth-speaking and life-fulfilling.

Start with self-awareness. Awaken your mind to the thoughts it has about your self. Speak what is truth, life and health-restoring to your mind, body, soul and spirit and you will begin the journey of self transformation which will seep into your attitudes and actions. 

I'll keep you posted.