Our thoughts are everything

Thoughts are important. They are what drive our every move. They affect our outlook on life, what we think we can and cannot do, as well as the choices we make. They affect our mood, our job, and our relationships. They color the way we experience life. They affect everything!

So imagine the power of using our thoughts to affect our lives in the way we want. To do this, we must be cognizant of the internal dialogue that is happening in our mind — our self-talk. What kinds of things are we saying to ourselves? And what kinds of things are we listening to?

Positive self-talk is a technique used by high performers to achieve desired results at work, at home, or anywhere else in life. It is something we can all benefit from, but most of us tend to overlook this powerful tool. It takes consistent daily practice, but here’s a way to start:

Think about something in your life that you want to go well, and notice what thoughts come up for you. When a positive thought comes up, repeat it to help reinforce it. If a negative thought comes up, let it go and immediately replace it with a positive one.

Repeat this process with more and more aspects of your life. Over time, you will begin to notice an increase in confidence, which will lead to improved performance and a greater sense of overall enjoyment and satisfaction in life.

Our thoughts are either working for us or against us. How we choose to use them is what makes all the difference. How might you change your internal dialogue in order to leverage positive self-talk in your life?