Self-Talk and Affirmations

Using positive self-messages to achieve your goals.

The Falcons at Play

Larry has just come to the bench and says to his teammate, Tim, “I dropped that easy fly ball. I guess I really am a klutz.” “Whoa,” Tim hollers, “What did you just say about yourself?” “Oh, yeah, ERASE, ERASE. I’m getting to be a better fielder all the time.”

Argue for your limitations and sure enough they’re yours.

-- Richard Bach – Illusions

Self-Talk The subconscious mind believes everything we say about ourselves and makes no judgment about whether it’s something good or something bad. When we say something positive about ourselves, our subconscious mind says, “This is who and what I am and I will store it in that special place we call self-identity.”

When we say something negative about ourselves, our subconscious mind says, “This is who and what I am and I will store it in that special place we call self-identity.” Self-talk is the most important of the programming activities. You are aware of that ‘inner voice’ that speaks to you regularly, telling you about yourself and helping make the decisions that affect your actions and feelings. Many of these messages are ‘negative’ in nature. ‘Negative’ meaning that they prevent you from doing what you are capable of doing. ‘Positive’, on the other hand, means that the message is allowing or enabling you to realize your potential.

You will hear people talking themselves out of achieving their goals. The following incident happened in my presence and I’ll bet you have had similar experiences: We are at the Pla-Mor Bowling Lanes. Andy is standing at the ball rack. He turns to us and says, “If I pick up this ten pin and get an 8 pin count I’ll make 200. I’ve never bowled a 200 game.” Do you think Andy will pick up that spare and get an 8 pin count or better?

Our thoughts and statements become self-fulfilling prophecies and we tend to live them out.

Next week we will explore the three common misuses of self-talk and how to deal with them.