- Don't think of the red apple.
- Don't look to your kitchen and see / wonder what your kids or spouse is doing.
- Don't imagine your pet dog walking around like Goofy.
Having a hard time?
Why?
Because there are certain words and instructions such as "Don't" which the human brain does not register.
This brings me to the very important point of Self Talk
Admit it! Yes! We do talk to ourselves! Don't you?
We all do, be it in words, or even a feeling described as butterflies in the stomach; especially when you're on a date with a hunk/ babe but feels like they are James Bond or La Femme Nakita waiting to pull their guns out on you?
Rule 1 - Listen to the truth.
Learn to trust your gut and your instincts, they are usually right. Not all self-talk is silent and unconscious. Most of us have spent years saying something negative about ourselves over and over without understanding how this can affect us. (ADMIT IT!)
“I’m just lousy with my dates! ”
“I can’t read a map !"
“I can't control my diet!"
“I always can't remember where I left my phone”
“I hate to talk in front of a crowd,”
...... and lots more.....
Work? Do you ever find yourself saying
“I’m only an average employee”
“My boss doesn’t like me”
“I’m no good at Excel”
...... and even lots more.....
Familiar eh?
Rule 2 - protect yourself from the negative.
Like most things, this is easier said than done. You can walk into the gym and tell yourself, "I'm gonna love my workout today!"
But if you don’t change your behavior, your technique, or your attitude, you’re probably still going to hate it.
So what are the reasons you hate the gym:
Is the machine too hi-tech to use or too big for you?
Have you tried to ask for help from the trainers? or are you reluctant to?
Have you had some bad training / experience?
Fix the outside, and then change that negative self talk into a positive.
“I’m gonna do great today because I asked the trainers for help!”
“I’m gonna rock today because I finally figured how it works!”
Self talk isn't just about words, it’s also about behavior, attitude and actions
When you finish an hour on mill, 30 pushups, crunches etc. do you tell yourself:
“Great job I did there!”
Or do you just say
“Wow that was lucky.”
When the someone compliments you on your great workout, do you say
“Thanks man!”
or do you just say
“It was no big deal, it's a lucky day.”
This is our "Self Speak". We talk to ourselves everyday, the only challenge is most people tend to talk to themselves more on the negative end, rather than on the positive spectrum.
It's amazing how a simple shift in our own internal paradigm enables an increase in the positive energy all of us is capable of carrying!