In our younger years, we start collecting information on who we are and how we relate to the world. This information is filed away into our personal database  But unfortunately, many of these files may be negative or outdated. And unless we take the time to upgrade, we may be running on old programing that can hold us back from living into our fullest potential.

Self-talk is a conditioned pattern of thinking. The way we talk to ourselves can be positive or negative, loving or critical. And how we talk to ourselves creates our experiences. Our conditioned ways of thinking, generate emotions and activate behaviors. Our whole way of being, acting and feeling is influenced by how we think and talk to ourselves.

There is always an opportunity to learn, grow and reprogram if we decide to do so. One way, is to be conscious of what we are saying to ourselves throughout the day. You may be surprised at what you find. Write down the top ten negative things you say to yourself and replace them with positive, present tense affirmations.

These affirmations are statements that describe a desired situation or goal, and are often repeated, until they get impressed on the subconscious mind. Keeping your affirmations in the present tense ensures that your subconscious mind goes to work on them right away. Some examples are, “That’s like me to get things done” and “I fuel my body with healthy food, exercise and adequate sleep so I have the energy to conquer my days.”

After you write down the top ten negative things you use to say to yourself and the positive affirmations you are replacing them with, project down the road 10 years. Look at the two “yous” and compare them. Compare the thoughts, feelings and actions of the you that ran the negative thoughts and programming to the you that replaced them with a consistent flow of positive, present tense affirmations. How are these two lives different? Which “you” would you bet on? Which one is happy, more fulfilled and accomplishes more?

You are the director of your life and get to choose how you want to think, talk and live. You get to decide if it’s time to upgrade your old programming. Buddha says, “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.”

Love, Heather