Do you have negative
beliefs about yourself? Statements you tell yourself before you try something
new and potentially rewarding?These negative self-talk scripts are convenient
excuses to avoid change. They serve as limiting beliefs, naysayers in our heads
– mental myths.
Sometimes we don’t even
realize the influence they have on our mindset and decisions.
You may be quick to say
to yourself, “I’m shy, introverted, and socially awkward. There’s no way I’ll
ever speak in front of a crowd.”
But because of this,
opportunities can pass you by. And it is up to you to flip this script around
to destroy the negative thoughts, turning them into positive self-talk script.
Greek Stoic philosopher
Epictetus, who believed in self-responsibility and self-discipline, was an
early proponent of positive self-talk:
“First say to yourself what you would be;
and then do what you have to do.”
Think about your
limiting beliefs and how you can flip them around to become positive self-talk
scripts. Smash through your mental myths and use these positive scripts to
guide your behavior.
Then, talk in the
second-person (“you”) instead of the first-person (“I”). Psychologists in this
study found that – counter-intuitively – using the second-person increases your
chances of success.
To inspire you, here
are 10 positive self-talk scripts from successful people.
1.
“You are enough.”
Before going on stage,
actress and singer Demi Lovato tells herself: “I am enough.”
She uses this to
silence her limiting beliefs about both her achievements and her body image.
For Lovato:
“‘I am enough’ means being comfortable with your body, with what you have achieved — and with what you haven’t. It means accepting who you are without caveats. It means rising to the bar you’ve set for yourself instead of conforming to the outlandish expectations of others. It translates to a confession of self-acceptance, and it’s something we could all stand to say to ourselves more often.”
2.
“You make it happen.”
Aarthi Ramamurthy,
founder of Lumoid, borrows this self-talk script from a Michael Jordan quote:
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it
happen.”
It’s simple as that.
Tell yourself to go out and take action.
3.
“You give of your talents freely, and you are wonderfully blessed financially.”
This script is from the
classic book The Power of the Subconcious Mind by Dr.Joseph Murphy.
The idea is to assume
that success is inevitable, especially if you constantly help others using your
talents. Wealth is a by-product of your effort to provide value in the world.
4.
“You are possible.”
Actress Audrey Hepburn
was quoted as saying, “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m
possible’!”
Except where it
violates the laws of physics, anything is often possible. But most people wait
until they’re “ready”.
Instead, tell yourself
“You are possible” and take the first step. Then the second. Don’t let
perfection paralyze you. Just put one foot in front of the other and you’ll achieve
success.
What other negative
beliefs can you flip around just by re-arranging letters? How about this:
instead of “No Way”, say “Now, ay!”
5.
“Stay focused. Stay positive. Keep your chin up and your feet on the ground.”
Amy Sacco, founder and
partner of the Bungalow 8 nightclub chain in New York City and London, tells
herself this script every day while blasting her favorite songs.
Borrow this idea
yourself and take your self-talk to a new level by playing the high-energy
tunes you love while verbalizing the script out loud.
6. “Trust yourself and
your gut rather than conventional wisdom.”
This script by Linda
Boff, an executive director at GE, reminds you to be skeptical of the experts,
to test everything, and base your decision on what you think will work for you.
Like Amy, Linda also
accompanies her self-talk with music:
“I love the theatre and often have a song going through my head. One that I frequently turn to in the morning as a motivator is the song ‘Defying Gravity,’ from ‘Wicked.’ It always picks me up and reminds me to trust myself and my gut rather than conventional wisdom.”
7.
“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”
Steve Jobs delivered
this line during a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005. He said
that he was inspired by the final issue of The Whole Earth Catalog magazine:
“It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age.
On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning
country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so
adventurous. Beneath it were the words: “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” It was
their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I
have always wished that for myself. And
now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.”
This script reminds you
to keep pushing while being open to new ideas and opportunities.
8.
“Failure is your stepping stone to greatness.”
This is a modified
version of a quote by the super-successful Oprah Winfrey, who is no stranger to
ups and downs in her life.
Obstacles and adversity
are your best path to success and greatness, according to The Obstacle Is the
Way. Only by trying and failing repeatedly and relentlessly will you develop a
growth mindset, rather than a fixed one.
9.
“You are the greatest.”
Muhammad Ali said, “I
figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was
the greatest.”
Tell yourself you are
the best at what you do, and let that inspire you to take action to get there.
10.
“What good shall I do this day?”
Benjamin Franklin asked
himself this question first thing every morning.
The message is to first
think about doing good. If you can solve other people’s problems, they will
value you. This is a win-win mentality that accelerates success for you and
everyone you interact with.
What do you think of
these “flip it around” self-talk scripts? Comment below and click “Share” to
inspire your friends!
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