Stop Negative Self Talk From Ruining Your Life

Have you been paying attention to the conversation you have with yourself?

Your subconscious mind is always eavesdropping on your self-talk.

Studies have shown that up to 80% of our thoughts are negative.

Parents, teachers, and the media have put ideas in our heads making things worse.

Doubt and perfectionism lead to self-criticism when we don't meet high standards.

We end up self-sabotaging our progress without realizing it.

These thoughts turn into

• Anxiety: You’re afraid to engage in your favorite activities because you believed the words, “you suck!”

• Depression: You become alone and desperate for connection because your family members called you “shy, quiet, and weird.”

• Mental health issues: You become a recluse and addicted to media because your “friends and family” made you feel bad for fully expressing yourself.

Be impeccable with your word.

Your word is like a seed, and the mind is fertile.

Words have power.

They’re like casting spells upon yourself and others directly influencing the emotions, actions, and outcomes of reality.

In my younger years, I lived and breathed basketball.

My friends in my neighborhood would often joke “you suck haha” when I missed a shot or lost the ball.

I started to lose confidence and missed shots more often.

Then it spread to many other things I did.

My body language changed. My thoughts changed. My words all changed.

These 5 phrases became a part of my vocabulary:

• I’ll try

• I can’t

• I might

• I guess

• I could maybe

Leading to half-assed efforts and insecurity.

This is why it’s crucial to be impeccable with your word.

So how do we put this into practice?

Start with the thoughts that come up often.

What assumptions are you making?

Who are you spending time around?

How does your posture look?

Let’s expand on how to do this.

#1 Gain brutal awareness

You need to become aware of the thoughts that are keeping you down.

Form a morning and night routine and journal the first and last things that come to mind each day.

Understand what triggers the negative thought patterns:

• the people you hang out with

• the environment you grew up in

• an object or habit you observe daily

Practice mindfulness to gain awareness of thought (meditation).

Get yourself a trustworthy accountability partner to keep you focused (not a shit-talker)

This is going to change the perception you have in everything you do.

My habits, thoughts, and words changed when I moved out of my parent’s house.

Don’t blame, take massive action.

And don’t skip this step.

#2 Reprogram your brain

Your brain has two halves and two wolfs, negative and positive.

Which one are you feeding?

Starve the negative one.

Negotiate with yourself on word choice.

Make them assertive and forward-moving.

Write these down.

Remember that action moves levers, not thought.

The act of scribing and visualizing your poison is crucial.

Now, eliminate toxic people (get away from them, no need to call a hitman).

Yes, the ones who talk down to you. They aren’t friends.

And they don’t respect you or themselves.

Turn off the news and be mindful of the media you’re consuming.

Some swear by affirmations or talking to themselves in a mirror.

Use whatever feels natural.

Here’s a similar but better approach:

Record yourself speaking.

Listen for the words such as “can, maybe, try” and any tone of uncertainty.

Replace them with “will, definitely, and doing”.

Then watch your body language.

#3 Get physical

What does your posture look like?

Are you slumped over, staring at a screen?

This keeps you in a negative state.

It sends a signal to those around you that you don’t think highly of yourself.

The more you practice good posture and movement, the more confidence you’ll feel.

Action destroys fear.

When in doubt, move about (cheesy but you damn well remember it).

Go to the gym. Thou shalt hoist iron slabs.

You can even train at home, there’s no excuse.

Doing 10 minutes of exercise has proven to release tons of feel-good chemicals in your brain

I teach you how to start and stick to a routine here.

Take care of your body and you’ll start to feel more positive, energized, and motivated.

TL;DR

Words have power, they become your reality:

1. Become aware of your negative thoughts

2. Reprogram your mind with action

3. Move your body, save your mind

The word is your sword.

You create the most beautiful kingdom or destroy everything around you.

It’s up to you to decide which one you’ll choose.

Be mindful of your self-talk.

Pay attention to what you say and how you say it.

Be aware of the people and media you consume.

Move your body. Get out of the chair. Stand tall with your shoulders back!

And start taking action to reprogram your mind.

Here’s how you can start:

• Subscribe to my newsletter so you’re filling your mind with high-value action steps.

• Reply to this email (or send me a DM on Twitter) with your top 3 goals.

• Share this with a friend or someone who needs to hear this.

See you next week friend!

Resources:

• Content OS: Set up a framework for content creation around your interests to attain internal fulfillment and financial freedom! Check out the article on creating your own content.

• 2-Hour Writer: Learn a marketable skill by writing 1-2 hours per day that translates to a professional upgrade, starting a business, or bringing clarity to your overactive mind.

• Modern Mastery: Join a like-minded group of individuals committed to content creation, starting a one-person business, and networking with others on the path to self-mastery.

• Hypefury: Tired of posting your content manually? Schedule unlimited tweets and save your ideas in a simple dashboard. I schedule all my tweets on Sunday saving me hours per week! (Also post to IG, FB, and LinkedIn) + many more features!

Read the previous letters on the blog.