Sometimes we hear negative ideas about our selves rattling around in our own minds or coming from our own lips that aren’t true. Having inner strength means mastering your inner dialogue and conquering negative beliefs about yourself.
The other day I was driving in the car with my 3-year old son, listening to my iPod through the car radio. The song Ballroom Blitz by Sweet (circa) came on and I started jamming “old school”. Aidan was singing right along! Curious what he was singing, I turned down the radio and cracked up listening to him sing , “On the list……on the list”.
Chuckling, I explained that the words were “Ballroom Blitz”. He was ADAMANT that I was wrong and the words were “On the list”! No matter how hard I tried to convince him, he wouldn’t hear of it.
This happens to us too! Sometimes WE hear things rattling around in our own minds or coming from our own lips that aren’t true. Have you ever made an off the cuff disparaging remark about yourself in front of someone and have them counter what you just said? Maybe you said something like, “I’m just not good at public speaking like you” and they disagreed. Perhaps they even shared a time they thought you were quite inspiring. No matter how hard your friend may try to convince you that your public speaking is great, you won’t hear of it. When the negative thought is so prominent it’s hard to believe the truth just like Aidan not believing me about the song lyrics.
I’ve been reflecting a lot on this as I prepare for a talk I’m giving next week on Being a Woman of Strength Inside and Out, where I’ll be covering the inner strength portion. We cannot have inner strength if we don’t master our inner dialogue.
Mastering our inner dialogue is much more than just a positive attitude. It’s about the subconscious and conscious beliefs we have, how they make us feel, and how they either empower or sabotage our actions. The conscious and subconscious must be in alignment. If you are saying "I want that promotion", but your subconscious dialogue is saying "Yeah, but, that will mean a whole lot more hours" or "But I probably won't get it, Linda is much more qualified" or "I'm not sure I have what it takes", guess what? You DON'T! I'm not trying to be mean, but rather help you understand how important it is to believe in what it is you say you want. Napoleon Hill says it best: "Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve". (Hear him directly at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hA-7aq6OXI)
I often give a talk titled What’s on Your Inner MP3 Player? in which I share more on this subject. I use the example of an MP3 player to represent our mind with a variety “songs or thoughts”.
The cycle goes something like this:
• The playlist starts and we hear the internal negative or limiting thought.
• We begin to buy into it.
• This alters our beliefs and can cause fears.
• These fears bring forth more negative thoughts and feelings that hold us back.
• From there, we begin making excuses for why we can’t achieve our goal or be who we want to be.
• These excuses then keep us from taking the actions that really can create the results of our heart’s desire.
It’s a sabotaging playlist and negative cycle often repeated over and over again. The good news is that while we all struggle with this to one degree or another, we CAN change our tunes and create greater success!
Are you having enough fun?
It is a little known fact that fun is one of the secrets to sustainable success! The ability to have fun in every situation enables you to be more successful and more relaxed whether it is at home or at work. Oh sure, I can hear what you’re thinking. Things like, “I couldn’t have fun at work, it would be unprofessional”, or “If I’m having fun I’m not being the best _____ (fill in the blank: spouse / executive / business owner / mother) I should be and I feel guilty about that”, and my favorite “I’m so busy, I don’t have TIME for fun”. Well, here are three reasons why I believe you must make time for fun and why it’s NOT a luxury item:Get More Done with a “To-Don’t” List
Somehow in our culture, “being busy” has been elevated to a status symbol. However, busy does not equal productive! It’s easy to be unceasingly busy with the never ending to-do list. As one thing is checked off, three more are added on. But too often clients complain they just aren’t getting what they want accomplished or they aren’t hitting their goals. They are “busy” going nowhere.Can You Take a Baby Step?
3 Keys to getting and staying in action