The words you use when you speak to yourself are of paramount importance. I think most of the time we don’t give it much thought. For instance, have you ever analyzed what you say to yourself if you make what you consider to be a mistake? I’ll bet it’s not pretty.
Saying nasty, hurtful things to yourself is just as bad as saying them to someone else. As a matter of fact, I’m betting you would never speak to another person the way you speak to you. This kind of beating yourself up will never motivate you to improve. It will only bring on more self doubt.
Rather than beating yourself up, calling yourself names and wallowing, what if you used kick ass, empowering language instead? Here are some examples:
Instead of, “I suck!”, how about, “how could I do that differently next time?”
Instead of, “this is so difficult”, how about, “this is an opportunity.”
Instead of, “I hate feeling like this”, try, “How can I give myself time and space to process my feelings?”
Instead of, “I cannot believe I said that!”, reframe it as, “what motivated me to say it that way?”
I know these might sound a bit corny but it can really make a big difference in your self confidence. Being hard on yourself and criticizing yourself will never motivate you to be better. It will only undermine your confidence.
How do you speak to yourself? Please share! How can you use kick ass, empowering language instead?
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