Self-Talk: Positively Powerful, Part 1
December 7th, 2007 | by Molly's Brother |Each month, I will take a look at a topic and explore it over the course of the four weeks. Each Friday, there will be a new post in the series. In a lead-up to the New Year, throughout Decemeber we will explore “Self Talk: Positively Powerful.”
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Christmas is just around the corner and the New Year is fast approaching. Although there are the Holiday parties to attend and Christmas gifts left to buy, we can’t ignore that 2008 is looming just beyond the horizon. Instead of being pressured into a empty New Year’s resolution, why don’t you take the next month to slowly mull over what changes you would like to make in 2008.
So you don’t see another failed New Year’s resolution three weeks into January, remember the following: in order to change your life, you must first change your mind.
Taking a page out of the psychology manual (the real and scientific type of psychology, not the scammy, “secret,” pop-type), many mental health professions attest to the power of cognitive behavioral therapy. When a client arrives in a pyschotherapist’s office, usually the client states that he wants to make a change in his or her life. In helping the client achieve the stated goals, the therapist understands that in order to change the behavior you must first change the thought.
And so it goes with managing money and attacking your debt.
Negative, unhelpful, destructive thoughts enter all of our minds many times throughout the day. Some of these thoughts are helpful and aid us in our survival. Others, however, are negative and only hinder our continued personal growth.
In reading personal finance blog posts and money forums, I see a community of Americans who are encumbered by “negative self talk.” They are imprisoned by their minds. Instead of recognizing the possibility of what it might mean to actually live a financially stable and financially healthy lives, these comments decry a life of filled with thoughts like “I will never get out of debt” or “I will always be poor.”
Guess what? If you think these thoughts, then sooner or later, your life will reflect them.
Instead of being chained to your negative self-talk, begin to imagine a life where you are your biggest cheerleader. Thoughts that are positive, supportive and self-loving.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll explore how to get there.
