Be a Better You

Everything we do begins with a thought.  What we want to become we are now becoming.  What we believe, what we say to ourselves, what we think about ourselves—it all shapes who we are and who we become.  A very wise man once said, as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

So what do you think about yourself?  What does your self-talk sound like?  Do you speak as if you’re confident that you will accomplish what you set out to?  If you get turned down or told "no" by a friend, associate, or potential customer, do you blame yourself or demean your abilities?  What thoughts come to mind first?  How confident are you about yourself?

Here is a great test to find out.  Look at the following statements and mark those that are true for you:

• I can fearlessly walk into a room full of strangers and introduce myself, strike up conversations, and feel comfortable.
• I can ask for what I want.  Fear doesn't stop me.
• I can make a presentation in front of a group of people successfully.
• I always finish what I start.
• I'm not afraid to return faulty purchases, even if the store has an unfriendly return policy.
• I feel confident about how I look.  I don't compare my looks, clothes, or body to others.
• I'm comfortable with being imperfect.  If I make a mistake, I don't try to cover it up or make excuses.
• I already have (or I'm moving towards) exactly what I want in life.

If you, like most people, weren't able to agree with all of these statements, then fears, insecurities, and doubts have crept into your life.  How many times have you thought, “I don’t know if I have what it takes to...,” or “I don’t have the right personality for ...” or "I don't have enough education to..."

If you were to take a notepad and put a line down the middle of the page and record on one side your positive self-talk and on the other side your negative self-talk, which list would be longer?  What are you telling yourself?   If what you’re telling yourself is not building you up, then the actions that follow your thoughts, the actions you take in your daily life, are not building you up either.
 

Do you already see yourself as a successful individual, mom, leader, or business builder?  Do you already have a detailed picture in your head of what your life will look like when you reach your goals?  This could include the amount of income you’re bringing in, how much time you’re spending with your kids or devoting to your work each day, what you’re doing each day, the number of reps or consultants on your home-based business team.
 

If you want to achieve your goals, then your success doesn’t begin with taking more action.  Your success begins with what you think about yourself.  You have to first see yourself as a person of worth or of value.  Talk about yourself as a star mom, leader, business owner, or whatever you're striving to be.  Talk with confidence and self-assurance as if you are now what you are becoming.  And to get you started in thinking your way to success…  I’m going to ask you to do some self-work here.
 

Here are two challenges for you:
 

Challenge #1:  Get a small notebook and on a blank page, draw a line down the center.  Label one side Negative Talk and label the other side Positive Talk.  Then for one full day, I want you to keep track of all of your self-talk…whether you say it verbally or just think it.  Only you will see this list, so be completely honest with yourself.  At the end of the day, take a look at your list.  Which side is longer?  Become aware of what you say to yourself. 

To help you avoid staying in the negative, here is one little word you can add to your negative statements: “yet”.  For example:

• I haven't loss any weight….yet

• My children aren't behaving…yet

• I can't afford to stay at home…yet

Continue to consistently work on this area and you’ll begin to see results.
 

Challenge #2:  I want you to find some inspirational quotes, passages, scriptures whatever you can find that will build you up.  Post these in places you can see them every morning, throughout the day, and every evening.  If you can find inspirational/motivational cd’s to listen to, please buy or borrow them.  Play them every day – morning and night.  Read your quotes so often and listen to your cd’s so much that you can repeat every word of it from memory.
 

Take time to ask yourself these questions and journal your responses.  Please share your thoughts, insights, and feedback with us all by leaving a comment below.  In future blog posts, we will explore this topic further.

And if you enjoyed this post, then please share it on Facebook and Twitter.  Thank you!  Hope you find this post valuable!  I know it has been life changing for me!

To your fear-free success,