Brian Tracy once said, “Never say anything about yourself that you do not want to come true.” And yet, we constantly do this.
- “I’m not good at math.”
- “I can’t resist sweets.”
- “I’m terrified of public speaking.”
- “I avoid confrontation.”
We’ve all made derogatory statements about ourselves and every time we do, we breathe life into a story that becomes the truth for others and, more importantly, for ourselves. Over time, we integrate these statements into the fabric of our lives as if they were factual and the only truth. In reality, they have become our truth through the repetition of our thoughts and speech. All fine if they are behaviors and reactions we want, but if they are not… then Brian Tracy is correct. We should stop saying them as if there were no other alternative.
This is not to say that we should try to convince ourselves of a lie but rather work on creating a new and more productive story over time. For example, I’ve often said (and truly believed) that I am terrible at remembering names. If I suddenly start saying that I’m really great at remembering names, my rational mind knows better. But I can start to rephrase the statement and morph it over time into something that feels better and begins to create a new and better truth.
- “I’ve struggled in the past with remembering names and I’m searching for ways to make that better.”
- “In the past, remembering people’s names has been hard for me and I’m experimenting with some new ways to improve my memory skills.”
- “It used to be hard for me to recall names, but I’ve found some cool techniques which are helping me tremendously.”
Over time, we create a new reality… a new truth. This week, notice how often you make negative or limiting statements about yourself and try changing the narrative to something that is also true but more positive and optimistic. Tell the story of how it is and how it could or will be and watch how quickly the new, improved story becomes true.
“You can’t make positive choices for the rest of your life without
an environment that makes those choices easy, natural, and enjoyable.”
— Deepak Chopra