Do you have an old tape that plays negative self talk? Is your mind in the habit of playing those old messages?
If you've been told you aren't good at something, especially at a young age, you'll be more apt to allow that message to replay in a negative loop.
That message can become your reality.
What's really cool is that you can choose to examine that negative message and either cast it aside or reframe it.
Maybe you can record a new message over the old one and create a truer picture of yourself.
For me, I was bad at math and that message has been replayed in my mind my whole life. It was a fact. I experienced anxiety when asked to perform slightly complicated math computations. I publicly poke fun at myself for lacking mathematical skills.
So let me reexamine this negative message I tell myself. Am I really bad at math?
Well, there was a time in high school when my sister taught me how to do my Geometry homework and I understood it. And there was another time I had to pass statistics in my master social work program and the professor taught it in a way that I aced the course. Lastly, I successfully managed million dollar budgets in state and local government for 20+ years and now I run my own business.
So, what's true for me is I have an affinity for words AND I am not bad at math.
My new recording: I have evidence that given the right teacher, motivation, and support, I am good at math.
How about you, what negative messages do you still tell yourself that might not actually be true?
I challenge you to re-examine your negative self-talk and discover your true self.
Record a new narrative over that old tape and let me know how it goes.
Want some coaching to stop your negative self talk? Sign up here: https://www.silverliningsinternational.org/coaching-consultation
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