"You have something to say, something to give, something to contribute."

 

A thought by Chad Veach from his book, I Work with People (p. 46). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Yes you!

Chad says, "You have influence. You have something to say, something to give, something to contribute. Your I ams need to be louder than your I am nots. I am wanted. I am valuable. I am here for a reason."

He goes on, "I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home that instilled life-giving truths in me. I am forever grateful that my mother spoke words of affirmation to me throughout my youth. She said things like, 'Everyone wants to hear what you have to say. Every room you walk into is better because you are there.' It gave me such confidence, such an advantage in leadership, and it shaped my self-perception in positive ways."

He continues, "Dr. Shad Helmstetter, author of the bestselling book What to Say When You Talk to Your Self, has done extensive research on the role of the brain in human behavior. He writes:

"After you examine the philosophies, the theories, and the practiced methods of influencing human behavior, you’ll find, as I did, that it gets down to the truth of one powerful fact: You will become what you think about most; your success or failure in anything, large or small, will depend on your programming—what you accept from others, and what you say when you talk to yourself. . . . The brain simply believes what you tell it most. And what you tell it about you, it will create. It has no choice."

Chad says, "Your thoughts can be your ally or your enemy. You can choose to leverage the brain’s incredible creative potential to support your goals or to hinder them. It comes down to what you choose to think about most."

He earlier said, "We can’t always control the random thoughts that come our way, but we can control our self-talk, which refers to the things we say to ourselves about who we are and what we are capable of accomplishing. Controlling these thoughts is an essential skill practiced by leaders who know how to lead themselves, and it’s a skill every leader can intentionally develop."

He then said, "My father-in-law, Bob MacGregor, grew up in a highly dysfunctional home, but he went on to become a respected leader who travels and speaks internationally, training thousands of leaders around the world. At the beginning of his career, when he was surrounded by people who seemed more qualified, more confident, and more 'normal,' he was bombarded by voices in his head telling him he wasn’t enough. He recalls making a conscious decision not to define himself by his past, by his upbringing, by his insecurity, or by his shame. He learned to control his thoughts and emotions by mentally repeating life-giving statements: Everyone wants me here. I have something to say. My voice matters. He self-talked his way from anonymity to influence.

And you can too. Why not start today, ok?

Yes, yes!