Self-Talk: A tool to move you forward

What do you say to yourself when you look in the mirror? What do you say when you make a mistake? The way you speak to yourself can be a powerful tool. Words can propell you forward or take you back, not only when you are speaking to others, but also when you think about and speak to yourself.

We've all heard the story of "The Little Engine That Could". There is a reason we tell our children that story. When the little engine told himself "I think I can" he spoke power and ability into his own life. Telling ourselves we can do it, is so much more powerful than telling ourselves we can't. When you speak positive things into your own life, they will come to pass. The same goes for the negative things.

If you wake up every morning and look in the mirror and examine all of your worst features and degrade yourself because of them, and then go down stairs to get breakfast, forgetting something in the bedroom and announce , "Ahhh, I'm so stupid!" You, my friend are not headed toward success that day. But how many times do we do this to ourselves? I'm guessing many of us on a daily basis.

What if we focused on our best features in the mirror instead of worst? What if we praised ourselves at every achievement, and at every failure reassured ourselves by thinking that we can do better next time? It seems so small to say little positive things to yourself, even a little silly, but it can really take you a long way. You might start saying them, thinking its silly, but soon enough you will start to believe all of those good things about yourself. After you start believing it, others will soon follow suit.

So...how do you move forward using self-talk?

Here are three simple steps to help get you started:

1. Start every morning declaring positive things about your life and yourself. Tell yourself how you are really going to ace that job interview, or that you are really going to nail that project at school or work. You are smart and successful!

2. When something bad happens don't bring yourself down, use it to build yourself up! If you forgot your phone and you are already halfway to work, don't be so hard on yourself! Reassure yourself, that you will take a different plan of action the next morning and focus on the positive things that came out of the situation. You can always check your messages from work!

3. When you are nervous about something tell yourself how great you will do. Tell yourself all the great things about you that will prepare you for what you are nervous about. When you tell yourself great things you will go into every situation with confidence.

Remember you are great and will be successful in all that you do!