This week's Success Principle a la Jack Canfield is Transform Your Inner Critic into Your Inner Coach. This principle also marks the halfway point through this book! This chapter deals primarily with negative self-talk. Canfield explains how this negativity can have a physical impact on our bodies. We can literally harm ourselves by living in worry and imagining bad outcomes. So how do we get past our favourite negative voices? (You know, "Who do you think you are?" "You're not good enough." "Everyone will laugh at you." "Stop being such a dreamer" etc. Pick your personal favourite)
To help change our thinking, Canfield refers to the work of psychiatrist Daniel G. Amen who calls our automatic negative thoughts ANTS. He says there are 3 steps to stomping those ants:
- Become aware of them.
- Shake them off and stomp on them by challenging them.
- Replace them with positive and affirming thoughts.
Let's try this with my current favourite limiting thought: "Jamie, you're not ready."
Step 1. I have to admit, when I was looking for a limiting thought and realized that this was the most prevalent in my mind right now, there was already a sense of freedom and relief. Now that I know it's just a repetitive negative voice, I really don't have to listen to it.
Step 2. Is it true that I'm not ready? Not really. I am well-trained and practiced in the work that I do. I love my work and get consistently great feedback from my clients. And sure, there's always more to learn and room to grow, and I'm committed to that, but there is a heck of a lot that I can do right now.
Step 3. Where I am is great. Sure, as I learn and grow, I'll be able to offer even more, and that's awesome. But right now there is a lot I can do, so I'm going to step up and do it!
What would that process look like for you?
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9 comments:
I've got terrible self-esteem. Maybe I should take a look at this book.
"Where I am is great."
Terrific thought! Go for It!
I like this. It takes the whole gremlin idea and turns it into a coach! Very cool. I never liked the idea of just awknowledging it was there and not doing anything about it. This is true transformation and personal liberation. I will try it!
My voice always tells me I'm going to be rejected. I just realized that the other day. I'm totally turning that around and saying, see, she doesn't hate you?!
'i'm not ready yet'...you don't know how many times i've told myself that very thing...
I'm not ready; I'm not good enough; I'm not smart enough.
These are pretty much the thoughts that I'm constantly fighting. I often lose.
I may have to check out this book!
Love this. And perfect timing considering my post about not doing art b/c of those familiar old self-defeating thoughts. Well, I just stomped right over those by saying yes to AEDM and NaBloPoMo and taking action! And it helps to have my creative cohorts to support and encourage me and remind me of what's really important.
1. Become aware of them. - Thoughts tell me: "haha, you think you have time to do that? Why you just sitting there? do something! Look how much time has passed, time's almost up!
2. Shake them off and stomp on them by challenging them. Me: Silly lil gremlin, why do you say such things? Here... eat this cream pie!
3. Replace them with positive and affirming thoughts. Me: I choose how I use my time, and sometimes that means doing something, sometimes that means doing nothing. I have the power to choose!
I found your blog through NaBlo in the women's biz group. How great that you're a life coach - I'm in the process of starting up my life coaching practice. I love how the teacher just shows up when the student is ready.
THIS was exactly what I needed to hear today. I've been struggling with this a lot as I do AEDM this month... how to balance the fact that I have SOOOOOO much to learn, with the fact that I want & need to make art NOW too.
There IS a heck of a lot that I can do now!!! I make an awesomely cool collage!!! I can work on that, AS I learn how to add other stuff to the collages!
Thanks for this... my inner child really seriously did need to hear this. The inferiority thing was really messing with her creative energy.
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