Gabe

(I won't claim to have thought this up myself. I learned this little trick from Anthony Robbins, a self-help guru.)
We really need to become aware of our internal dialogue. If it's all negative, we mire ourselves in negativity.
Be aware of how your internal dialogue plays out. If you find yourself saying "That sucks!", "God damn it!" and "Woe is me!" a lot...see if you can turn it around.
I started my change by substituting "God bless it!" for "God damn it!" It may sound simple, but it makes a difference. When you find yourself in mid-rant about the latest set of difficulties in your life, take a moment to count your blessings. Take all of the energy that you were focusing on your problems (whatever they are) and re-focus that energy on a smile from a friend, a kind word from a co-worker or a hug from your child.
"Energy flows where attention goes" is a quote that hangs on my wall where I can see it often. Remember that your internal dialogue guides your life. Try to spice that dialogue up with some positive thoughts.
Peace,
Gabe

Ann

Gabe

Thank you for posting this when I needed to read it. I am a big believer in replacing the negative with positive. Positive is like light...when you let a little in the darkness just disappears.

journeygal

A couple of years ago I read a book about self-talk. To try and replace my negative internal dialogue with positive thoughts, I would begin every day and end every night repeating different positive phrases over and over. Before I left the house I would look in the mirror and say "I am beautiful, I love myself, and I can do anything if I put my mind to it."

The strangest thing happened....

I started smiling more. I started walking around with my head high. And people noticed. Many people commented to me how happy I looked, how great I was doing. And they commented A LOT! It really made me stop and wonder what kind of persona I'd been presenting to the world up until that point.

Unfortunately, I stopped the exercises. And, while I don't know if I've completely reverted to the negative being I was, I'm sure I'm nowhere near as positive as I was during that time. That internal dialogue has a tremendous affect on how we feel about ourselves and how others see us.

Thanks for the post - I needed the reminder!

matters

What a positive change of behavior that would benefit us all!!

Thanks for the post Gabe!!

Yesterday afternoon I was watching Dr. Phil before I went to work and he was talking about this very same thing. We need to listen to our Internal Dialog. Changing our behavior patterns starts with listening first. It is a very interesting concept and one that I am going to start paying attention to!

Thanks again,
matters