The Power of Self-Talk

It's been referred to as a mental disorder: talking to yourself.

But you do it every day all day. Let me repeat that:

Every day, all day.

There is a constant inner dialog in your head. And if you're not careful, the things you are telling yourself can have profound implications as you prepare for your 4th Quarter (60-70's).

So, what are you telling yourself?

What are the questions you're asking yourself?

I would offer a guest that, in all likelihood, you are not very kind to yourself. You're probably saying some form of the following:

• "I can't seem to find time to write that book. I'll never get it done."
• "Come on, why don't you ever have anything nice to say to your employees?"
• "Why can't I find a suitable replacement for me so they can take over the operations of my business and I can move on to my next project?"

These sorts of statements and questions are restricting. By uttering them, you are giving your non-conscious marching orders for what it should focus on. For example, tell yourself you can't ever seem to find time to write the book you've always wanted to write, and your non-conscious will chew on that very statement and provide you evidence of proof. It will remind you of past failures and times when you disappointed people. It won't confront you and respond with, "Hey man, you can do it. Just try again."

"Your brain is like a supercomputer and your self-talk is the program it will run." ( Jim Kwik )

As a person in your 40-50's, you cannot afford to be telling yourself these kinds of limiting statements and questions. You have too much to wrestle with already. Your career is shifting. Your parents are aging. You want more time with your grandkids. You wonder what's next in your life.

This stage of life requires a mind that is forward-thinking, positive, and possibility prone.

The Good News

There is a way to harness the power of that very same non-conscious for your benefit - and it doesn't take very much effort.

Just change the statement. Change the question.

The non-conscious that is taking those limiting statements & questions and providing evidence to support that negativity is the same non-conscious that will do the same for you when you use positive statements & questions. Try saying these to yourself instead:

• "You can and will find time to write that book. You will get it done."
• "How could you start saying nice things to your employees?"
• "How could I find a suitable replacement for me so they can take over the operations of my business and I can move on to my next project?"

(NOTE: I didn't use "I" with these examples. I used "you". Research is showing that when we talk to ourselves and use our name and the word "you", we greatly increase the positive impact our self-talk will have on us.)

I spoke about self-talk on a recent podcast episode. If you want to jump over there and have a listen, here's the link.

Let's all start talking up to ourselves and see how it positions us to see more opportunities and options.

Try it for yourself. Let me know how the change in your self-talk goes. I want to know.

I truly appreciate you reading the Serve Strong Finish Strong newsletter (formerly GenX Weekly). It's a privilege to write it for you.

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