How often do you find yourself in a dialogue…..with yourself? Daily? Weekly? If you are anything like me, this dialogue happens so often throughout the day you may not even notice it’s happening. It could be the routine catwalk in the mirror “do these pants make me look fat?”, “Is my hair laying perfectly?”, “Oh, I look great, work it girl”.
It could be the chatter clogging up your mind on your morning commute “I really need to get back to the gym” “I want that promotion but, I don’t know if I can do it”. The truth is, if anyone knew the dialogue I had with myself on a daily basis they would probably think I was absolutely nutty!
The Importance of Self-Dialogue
Now, we all know self-dialogue is just as important as any other and we should talk to ourselves with the same love, respect and compassion as we show others. So here is the thing…….that’s WAY harder than it sounds! I mean it’s kind of crazy to think about, but often times it much easier to treat others with more love than we show ourselves. We hear day in and day out that what you speak, what you think, what you put out as intention will be what you get back- so why is it so damn hard?!
More often than not I find myself in a cartoon-esk situation with the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other. It feels like I can be in a constant battle with myself. The power of the mind, the power of fear is a real thing. To be completely honest I have not yet found the secret to conquering it.
Perfect example of this mind game I’m talking about is working out. So, I don’t LOVE working out, I actually don’t even really like it and most days I outright dread it. I’d say I get about 10 minutes into it and then WABAM there’s that little devil on my shoulder telling me to stop, that I can’t keep going and if I do…I might actually die.
The workout then becomes a mental one, literally talking myself out of giving up, telling that part of myself to get lost. Some days I win that battle and….some days I don’t. Now this is just one area and one example, and I hope you’re reading this and can identify with it- if not then we need to talk because apparently you found the secret.
Harnessing the Power of the Mind
The example above is just scratching the surface. The problem with your mind and the devil on the shoulder is it knows your deepest darkest secrets and fears. Your feelings of failure and not being enough. Your insecurities of if you’re a good mother, if your husband still finds you sexy after so many years, how successful you are in your career, how you measure up against everyone else that seems to have it all figured out.
The truth is, the mind is a powerful thing. Learning to harness its strength and keeping the focus and energy flowing with self-assurance, self-love and self-acceptance is something I am still learning. I am further along in that journey today than I was yesterday. I know for me environment is a huge factor for the type of self-dialogue I have. I try to keep myself surrounded with people who exude positivity, love and acceptance. I try to keep my body fueled with nourishing foods and take measures to incorporate relaxation as much as possible.
At the end of the day we are all on a journey of our own. Love yourself through the up’s and downs and on the days you can’t, surround yourself with people who uplift you. Treat your body and your mind with love and grace and try to remember- You got this SH**T!
