“Becoming aware of our automatic thoughts—our self-talk—is a necessary step in the journey toward change.”

A thought by H. Norman Wright DMin. from his book, A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life (p.32). Baker Publishing Group (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

That is a great place to start.

Norman says, “Just identifying the ten to fifteen most common phrases we say to ourselves is a good beginning. Then we can disarm those negative thoughts.

“What do you tell yourself frequently? That you’re always stressed? Always late? Always forgetting things? That you should be more organized? More disciplined? More patient?

“You might not even be aware of the automatic thoughts that damage your perception of yourself. You can start identifying them by challenging negative thoughts and purposefully putting them through the verification process…

“When you begin to recognize them and realize how frequently they pass through your mind, you may be shocked. When they begin to identify their negative self-talk, people frequently say, ‘I can’t believe what I’ve been saying to myself for all these years!’”

He goes on, “Just imagine how many thousands of times you may have made these automatic, negative statements to yourself. Now consider this: This self-talk sets the course for how you’re to live your life. With every one of these automatic thoughts, you’re actually giving yourself directions.

“If the context of your self-talk is negative or toxic, what’s the result? Well, you could end up immobilized, fearful, insecure, stuck, negative toward yourself and others, and just plain miserable.”

But what if your self-talk is positive?  Don’t you think it would change your view of yourself and change your life?

Yes, yes!