The Power of Self-Talk

Have you talked to yourself today? Of course you have – we all do, constantly throughout our day. But something I want to discuss with you is how we talk to ourselves and how big of an impact the way we think fuels the way we perceive others, and arguably most important- ourselves.

How we think to ourselves can make or break us- literally. I’m going to be vulnerable here and admit that I am somewhat pessimistic, a quality that I never wanted to admit to myself or others; however, I am better now than I was years ago.

For example, I tend to beat myself up when I make a mistake, and it consumes me to the point where I can’t let it go- not for awhile at least. This may in turn effect my attitude and how I treat others, especially those closest to me. It’s something that I strongly dislike and am making more of an effort to change.

Looking at the world in a negative way effects everything, our today and tomorrow. Being pessimistic can even ruin our potential for a bright future. We might talk ourselves out of something before even attempting it because we are scared of being judged, failing, the unknown, etc. I think this is a large factor of why people don’t actually attempt things they want to do, like lifting.

I’m not a fan of public speaking- like at all. I would rather do 3 hours of cardio, 500 burpees, or eat nothing but boiled chicken for a month. Alright I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get my point. 😉

This week I had some presentations that didn’t go as well as they would have if I spoke to myself more optimistically. Days before the presentations, I already mentally prepared myself for failure. I caught myself saying, “This is going to go bad. I’m so nervous. I’m gonna mess up and it’s gonna be really awkward and on and on and on.”

If this was an interview in front of a potential employer, I would have blown it; a missed opportunity, all because I mentally set myself up for failure, resulting in a poor, unconfident performance.

So, I want to encourage you to make it a mission to try and live more positively, if you aren’t already. Something so simple as changing your outlook can change your life, and others.

T.G.I.F.

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7 thoughts on “The Power of Self-Talk”

  1. Being an introvert, I’m not really big on making presentations either, but over the course of my life, I’ve had to make them periodically. The ones that went well usually were on topics I knew thoroughly and were enthusiastic about. For me, it’s also about the size of the audience. I prefer a smaller crowd to a while auditorium.

    As far as self-talk goes, I think that’s where the idea of self-affirmations comes from; deliberately saying only positive things to yourself about yourself. If you’ve ever seen the film “What About Bob” starring Bill Murray (and if you haven’t, I highly recommend it), toward the beginning of the film, Bob (Murray) who is a highly dysfunctional, phobic person, is repeatedly telling himself, “I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful,” when his behavior says the exact opposite.

    I think this concept is also expressed as “You are what you think”. However you imagine yourself is what you end up being. Of course, that means, if you change the message, eventually, you change yourself.

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    1. I agree with you James. I am more of an introvert myself. However, I still get nervous when speaking in front of a class consisting of less than 20 people, haha.

      I have not seen “What About Bob,” but will add it to my movies to watch. Thank you for the suggestion.

      Well said, we are what we think is very accurate indeed.

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  2. I agree with the positive self talk. I also think it should apply to life in general. I’ve been actively thinking about the good things in my life to help me get out of my depression. I was hesitant at first, but coming up with 1 thing to be grateful for each day for the last 3 months has helped a lot. I feel like a completely different person.

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    1. Absolutely. When we focus too much on our self with negative thoughts, we get stuck with being in a miserable cycle. Actively thinking, and appreciating what we have does help- so does helping people, doing things for them. I remember during my darkest time, my mom would always encourage me to do something and help someone because that will make us feel better.

      Glad to hear that actively thinking about the good things in your life has helped you! 🙂

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  3. Pingback: The Power of Self-Talk – entertainmentinside

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