Are you exhausted without understanding why? Are you ready to give up before you even try? Do you complain a lot about this or that? Do you criticize yourself at the drop of a hat? If you’re looking for ways to overcome negativity, read on to find out how to turn your situation around…with the help of your voice!
As human beings we focus more on the negatives because we’re wired to survive. The problem is we suffer. How can we get out of the negative thought-feeling-speech-behaviour cycle that reinforces suffering, and create more peace and happiness?
Exercise 2 – REFRAME A PAST OR FUTURE EVENT IN A SELF-SUPPORTING LIGHT
Take a look at a difficult story you’ve been replaying over and over in your mind concerning a past event or your worries about a future event. This is a form of self-torture that we’re all familiar with! Those negative stories reinforce self-criticism, undermine our self-esteem, and can even trigger our body’s fight-or-flight response.
To stop the vicious cycle of self-criticism and the body overreacting to stressors we can transform our stories so they’re no longer triggering. Try reframing the difficult event or topic in a more positive light by examining the big picture of that experience.
Stop seeing it as proof of your unworthiness or not-enoughness and start seeing the event as an opportunitity for learning and growth that can support you in moving forward into the future with confidence. Don’t toddlers crawl and fall down countless times before learning to walk? The same goes for entrepreneurs, by the way.
I’ve come to see failures as growth spurts and events to be celebrated. Didn’t pass that difficult exam? What did you learn in the process of preparing for the exam? What wins did you experience during the journey?
Didn’t get selected for the job? What information and wisdom can be gathered from that whole experience to help you feel more self-confident and better-prepared for your next job application?
Stand back and get a bird’s eye view of that event. Acknowledge the myriad of small wins inherent in it (e.g., surprises, intuition, discoveries, feelings, emotions, experiences, connections, perspective, etc.) that came about because you showed up and tried…and celebrate that!
And don’t forget to thank your suffering for the opportunity to know and experience happiness!
Co-creating a better world through our inner dialogue!