Ask yourself this question – “Who do I listen to the most?”
Take a little minute before you answer, because the answer can be quite insightful and a great moment of clarity for your life going forward. Most people at this stage are now sitting going through all the people that they know, and the ones that they are in daily contact with. But I reckon I could tell everyone who they listen to the most to.
The Answer is You!!!
The person that you listen to the most is YOU!!
Think about it. All the time when it is quiet you are listening to all the thoughts that are inside your head.
Think about the story that you are telling yourself. Is it a positive one or is it one of self doubt? Is it all muddled up and you have no idea what you are doing or is it a highly organised voice?
Was I really listening to me?
Years ago, when someone said this to me I really struggled to grasp the concept. I pride myself on listening to others so was it really me that I was listening to the most? I made a conscious effort to be aware of the fact that I might be listening to myself. I know people do catch me talking to myself – it is part of me – share a room with me and you will understand, but was I really listening to myself?
Bizarrely, yes I do and I bet you do too.
Think about it. When we waken up in the morning, what do we do? We start to think about the day ahead. We start going over the things that we need to do, we start planning and remembering what we have to do. On the way to work (if you have to do that) and you are commuting in bus/train/driving, are you listening to music and planning again. Are you thinking positive thoughts or are you dreading the day ahead, worrying about what you have to do?
These thoughts we are listening to can have a profound effect on the outcome of our day, even week and life going forward. Are you giving yourself a positive talking to or a negative one?
I love the quote by Henry Ford “Whether you think you can or you think can’t, – you are right.”
How many times have we said we can’t do something and we end up not doing it. In business, if we tell ourselves that we can’t sell/speak to people/recruit people, we will end up believing it in ourselves.
If we change our thinking from a negative head space to a positive head space, think of all the good things that will come. Think – I can recruit. I can sell and I can speak to people! Your life would dramatically change. The aura that you give off would change and people would want a piece of what you have to offer. Your passion, belief and excitement about what you do will shine through and you will attract more people to your business.
Can self talk really change the way that you perform?
A prime example of how changing your self talk can have a positive impact on results is with myself and my “running”. As an asthmatic, I have never been able to run long distances. At school I was a sprinter and played Gaol Shooter in netball. I always believed that I couldn’t do anymore. I was told it by so many people that I believed it myself and for years I have said to myself and others “I am not a runner”. However, over recent months I have been attending a gym and warming up on the treadmill. What has happened has been outstanding!
Recently, I have run the furtherest I have ever run and each time I do it I am beating my time! How has this happened? Well when I am running on the treadmill, I am saying to myself – “you can do this”, “you can run this distance” etc etc. I am so chuffed that I have been able to do this and continue to do this that I am adapting it into every day life.
Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that I would be able to do that. I have stopped saying that I can not run and now I can say to people that I can. Some people may look at those stats and laugh, but for me it is a huge, massive achievement and I am so proud of it. Once I changed who I was listening to (i.e. myself telling me I wasn’t a runner) this happened.
What can you stop telling yourself and what way will it affect your life?
My new motto is “Get Out of Your Own Head” when things start to creep in that shouldn’t be there.
I have had a tough 12 months and I had let my head talk really get me down in private. Things had happened in my business outside my control and I was really struggling with them. I was over analysing everything, and letting small issues become big issues. What was happening was that the only person that was suffering was me. I was holding myself back with all the self talking I was doing and as a result I wasn’t being able to be me and achieve the goals that I wanted to achieve. Those thoughts sometimes creep back in but now, when they do, I quite literally say to myself – Get out of your Head!!! This totally refocuses me and I start doing positive things again that will grow my business.
How can you stay focused and have good conversations with yourself?
One of the other things that helps me is that this year I have written down a list of positive things that I am going to do on a daily basis. Every morning I read them and say them out loud and they set my day off in the right way.
For example, one of them is to spend less time on Facebook. All to often we scroll through Facebook and the day is gone before you know it. If I find myself doing it, I correct myself , tell myself to get of it and refocus again. The positive thoughts are there all the time and are helping me going forward. Try it, it really does make a difference.
So my challenge to you is to now consciously think about who and what you listen to – is it yourself and is that a good thing? Or is it someone else and are they having a positive or negative impact on your life?
Make sure that you are listening to positive things and the results of this are outstanding! I can and I will, watch me!!
Positive thoughts, lead to positive days which lead to positive lives.
Yours in health and Happiness
If you know someone who could benefit from this, please do share with them in the hope that it will help x
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