Don't Stop Believing

While this may be the work week wrap-up day of the 'Positive Self Talk' week, it doesn't mean YOU have to stop. Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to amaze yourself, take a baby step closer to the awesomeness that's inside of you.

I wanted to share this fabulous article that I got from Wings For The Heart. The fabulous Victor turned me on to it and I am blown away each week by the content - it always seems to say exactly what I need to hear, when I'm ready to hear it.

So for those of you who are wondering "Where do I start?! How am I supposed to love myself when *I* can't even stand myself sometimes?!"

(you, too can get your own copy of the e-newsletter)

Learning to Love Yourself

Loving yourself can be difficult when you have limiting and
derogatory messages playing in your subconscious mind. Most of these
messages are recorded during childhood, but their effects can be far
reaching! Did you know that you're still being influenced by the
things your parents and others said to you decades ago?

When someone told you that you were no good, you believed them. When
someone told you that you'd never amount to anything, you believed
them. When someone told you that you were stupid or learning disabled
or weird, you believed them. And you still believe them to this day -
even if you're not consciously aware of these underlying beliefs.

Is it possible to overcome old messages and replace them with new,
empowering messages? Yes! Here are three good ways to start:

1) Romance yourself. Think about the last love affair you had. At
the beginning you and your partner probably devoted a lot of time,
attention and affection to each other, right? You felt passionate and
swept away by the beauty of your partner and he/she probably felt the
same about you. One of the best ways to learn to love yourself is to
enter into a similar process - with yourself! Treat yourself like
royalty! Do things that make you feel happy. Hug yourself. Sweet-talk
yourself. Buy yourself nice things. Spend quality time with yourself
simply because you deserve it.

2) Explore your existing beliefs. You may suspect you have old,
limiting messages rattling around in your head but still be unsure
about what they are exactly. In order to discover the beliefs that
are holding you back, you may need to go on an expedition. Begin
exploring your existing beliefs by writing in a journal. Give
yourself prompts or questions like these: "My earliest memory of
feeling stupid was . . ." "My mother always made me feel . . ." "My
father always treated me like . . ." and so on. The idea is to think
back to an earlier time in your life and see if you can discover when
and where your limiting beliefs got started. Then, challenge those
beliefs. Are they still true? Were they ever true? Decide what you
WANT to be true, and begin to replace the old belief by focusing more
on your new and improved beliefs.

3) Emphasize your good qualities! When you have low self-esteem, you
tend to keep focusing on the things that are "wrong with you," and
dismissing the things that you have going for you. Start to turn this
around by praising and encouraging yourself in your self-talk. When
you accomplish something, congratulate yourself! Say things like,
"Wow, I'm really proud of myself for doing that. It wasn't easy, but
I pushed through the rough spots and gave it my best shot." You can
also make a point of simply giving yourself positive self-talk daily.
Recite affirmations like these: "I am a valuable person. I have a lot
to offer the world. I'm talented and successful." The more you do it,
the more you'll come to believe it!

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Ready to start/advance your own personal WHY-volution? Make the decision, make the commitment to yourself. Make today your own personal January 1st!

Copy this goodie (also from Wings Of the Heart), put your name on it, sign it, post it, carry it with you, and read it every. single. day.


I __________________________ hereby vow to keep moving toward my
dreams and goals regardless of any obstacles or challenges I may
face. I understand that challenges are transitory and do not last
forever. I vow to use all of my mental and physical resources to
work through them or around them, and I refuse to be intimidated,
discouraged or cowed by fear. I will persevere no matter what,
knowing undeniably that I have the power to overcome any difficulty.
I understand that this focus above any other is enough to carry me
swiftly to the finish line.

Signed and dated: _____________________________