Self-Talk
My oldest daughter, Kate, loves to draw and is constantly pronouncing herself a “good artist”. But yesterday, she contradicted herself.
In the morning she was coloring in a detailed picture of an African woman that she had drawn, lamenting on how she likes to draw and is "such a good artist". Then an hour later she was telling her supervising teacher that she “wasn’t a good artist” .
Huh! That got my attention!
I called Kate on her remark – It wasn’t acceptable – what comes out of our mouths and is in our heads then becomes reality. In Kate’s case, she didn’t want the pressure of drawing something new with someone watching (she likes to draw in private or during art class without the pressure of someone hovering.)
After the incident was over, and Kate is back to pronouncing herself a “good artist” I realized I do the same thing. I’m constantly giving my self questioning self-talk about writing, about home-making, about how I manage my time, or the organization (or lack of it) in my home.
Self talk is powerful. Overtime we begin to believe what we hear – regardless of whether it is rooted in truth. And, our internal voices are just as powerful as the spoken voice – because we hear it more than any other voice. I must install an internal filter to overwrite any of this questioning or negative self-talk with something positive, or at least neutralizing. After all, only I can make the decision to change. No one else can do it for me.
>>>>Quote of the Day>>>>
“Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.”
-Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
In the morning she was coloring in a detailed picture of an African woman that she had drawn, lamenting on how she likes to draw and is "such a good artist". Then an hour later she was telling her supervising teacher that she “wasn’t a good artist” .
Huh! That got my attention!
I called Kate on her remark – It wasn’t acceptable – what comes out of our mouths and is in our heads then becomes reality. In Kate’s case, she didn’t want the pressure of drawing something new with someone watching (she likes to draw in private or during art class without the pressure of someone hovering.)
After the incident was over, and Kate is back to pronouncing herself a “good artist” I realized I do the same thing. I’m constantly giving my self questioning self-talk about writing, about home-making, about how I manage my time, or the organization (or lack of it) in my home.
Self talk is powerful. Overtime we begin to believe what we hear – regardless of whether it is rooted in truth. And, our internal voices are just as powerful as the spoken voice – because we hear it more than any other voice. I must install an internal filter to overwrite any of this questioning or negative self-talk with something positive, or at least neutralizing. After all, only I can make the decision to change. No one else can do it for me.
>>>>Quote of the Day>>>>
“Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.”
-Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
posted by Shannon at 10:03 AM
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