We all talk to ourselves throughout the day, although we may not always be aware of our self-talk or what we are actually saying. These thoughts influence our feelings and perceptions about what’s going on in our lives. They determine what we notice in the world and what we attract into our lives.
By expecting the negative, we filter our experiences and interpret events in a way that meets these expectations. We see only the negative side of each situation. We pay more attention to the negative comments from others, to the decisions we made that weren’t the best and to the plans that didn’t work out.
By focusing on the positive, we will notice the opportunities that come from change, acknowledge our personal successes and notice more of the beauty and joy in our lives.
Our negative self-talk can stop us from taking risks, making choices, expressing our feelings or working toward our goals. It affects the amount of stress we experience and how we behave in relationships.
In this book I suggest practical information and techniques to help you change your negative self-talk to positive self-talk and create a happier life. These include:
- what self-talk is and how it impacts our lives.
- the relationship between self-talk and self-esteem, stress management, addictions, assertivenes skills and communication with others.
- how our self-talk develops, both overtly and covertly.
- common forms of negative self-talk and how simply changing the words you use can change your life.
- an easy to follow six-step model to help change your negative self-talk to positive.
- a selection of ideas to help increase the power of the positive in your life and keep your positive energy flowing.
