Optimistic Self-Talk Equals Success
Positive Self-Talk Is Critical
People are engaged in internal conversation or self-talk consistently. It is a form of automatic response to how we feel, and it influences our behavior based on our experiences in life. If your way of thinking is always negative, and if you always engage in negative self-talk, you become pessimistic.
Conversely, if you think positively despite many problems, you are probably an optimistic person. A pessimistic, negative self-talking person will find it difficult to take steps to become confident and successful, whereas an optimistic, positive self-talking person is on the road to achieving their goals.
How Your Thinking Habits Affect You
Did you know that your “inner conversation” has a powerful influence on you? Your self-talk can give you confidence and motivation to succeed or make you timid and afraid of making big decisions that would otherwise positively impact your life. What are you saying to yourself?
Negative Self-Talk
Do you ever find yourself hesitating when about to begin something new? Generally, negative self-talk limits your capability to have faith in yourself and your talents and skills, so you cannot reach your full potential for success. It lessens your will to make a positive move to go ahead with any plans to improve your life situation.
When you master the art of positivity, you will gain more confidence and motivation. You can be more productive in working on whatever your goal is. Negative thinking is the biggest block to your progress.
Negative self-talk is stressful. It can lead to depression, anxiety, addiction, self-pity, and relationship problems. You may not realize it, but your negative thinking is very often disproportionally unrealistic, unreasonable, and biased against yourself.
Think Positively
Positive thinking is a significant factor for success. The more you say that you can do it, the more you are determined to make it. Repeat it to yourself every day until it is impressed on your subconscious mind. Think of the story of “The Little Engine That Could”. Your mind's determination to succeed will then bring you closer to your goal. Don't set limits on being a positive thinker because what your mind can conceive, you can achieve. Always remind yourself of the saying, “If there's a will, there's a way.” When you can internalize this belief, you can be happy and calm whatever your circumstance is.
Being a perfectionist can seem to be an admirable trait but it is not in most aspects of your life. It can be damaging, especially to your relationships with family members. If this is you, you are not contented unless, in your mind, you've done your best to please them or vice-versa. It can also apply to your work, but if you believe in your self-worth, you will be happy and contented in your achievements, even if they are not perfect. It will also be less stressful if you accept that you did a good job.
Avoid self-criticism as much as possible because this will compound your insecurities. Stop being self-critical because your thoughts are biased and are also affected by your mood. Be more objective and instead, congratulate yourself when you've done a great job, and others have acknowledged it.
What To Do With Your Negative Thoughts?
If you consider your inner thoughts as a separate force you can control, you can better manage it when negativity creeps in. Don't blithely accept that your thoughts are something over which you have no control, and you are a victim of them. With practice, you can learn to control your thinking, quickly releasing negative thoughts and focusing on those that wield yield positive results.
You can also change your negative thoughts to neutral if it's not possible to change positively and make this a habit. For example, instead of “I don't like it,” say, “I much prefer this one,” or “This is a problem” should become “This is just a challenge.” Reframing is a powerful tool, and a gentler thought can prevent stress and strain in your dealing with people or events.
Other people don't know what's going on in your head and so they cannot correct your damaging way of self-talk. Be aware of your self-talk – if it's negative, change your outlook since they are usually exaggerations that will plant unnecessary worry or fear in your mind. You may able to share your self-inflicted criticisms with your close friends to hear their objective opinions.
Usually, they can help you appreciate that your negative self-talk is largely baseless, so your stress and anxiety will decrease if you focus on the positive. If any task is quite difficult for you, don't fall back to telling yourself that you can't do it. Instead, you can say to yourself, “Focus, focus, focus. You know you can do this.” This can motivate you and boost your morale to take action.
Use That Self-Talk Power Wisely
Now you are aware that positive self-talk has the power to boost your self-confidence, enhance your disposition, and motivate you to take action to achieve success. Don't let negative thinking bring your mood and self-confidence down and stop you from becoming an achiever.
This year, try to always steer your self-talk toward positivity, which produces success and happiness instead of blocking opportunities with negativity. To a great 2023!!
Fran Watson