Rephrase what you say. While I’ve been on this internal journey for almost a decade now I realize more and more the importance of dialogue. Internal and external. What we say to ourselves and to others really does make a difference. Many authors have written this important rule in their books and it seems people understand the importance of it but rarely practice it. Please practice it!
To start changing the things you say you first have to have an understanding of what you are saying and what impact your words can have on your brain. Try to be mindful of how others may potentially receive things you say in conversation as well. While we really can’t control how others receive things, we can do a good job of keeping normally heating comments down to a more neutral tone.
This also includes how we treat ourselves. Be kind. To gain ground try to put healthy spins on things. Find the good in the bad. There is always a way. No, it won’t be easy, but if you work at it things will get easier.
Present yourself with realistic solutions instead of stating the problems. It makes us feel better when we can try to look on the bright side so why not go with that? That doesn’t mean that we can’t reflect on the negative stuff. We need to recognize the negative stuff and acknowledge it so we can learn from it and move on. Rephrasing the things you say in your head or aloud helps.
When we are trying to develop new and healthy habits of what we say to ourselves or in conversation with others we need to reach a point where we have learned. Practice, practice, practice. Rephrase the negative stuff. The process of mentally rephrasing will become a positive skill in time so please be patient. Each new piece of dialogue is a new opportunity to have healthy thoughts about ourselves.
We also should be aware of stating what we want instead of what we don’t want. If we start things off by saying, “We don’t want this and we don’t want that,” we are only focusing on negative outcomes and we need to steer clear of that narrative. Instead, we should be trying to encourage positive outcomes. Rephrasing the thought process is key to healthier views.
When we learn to rephrase the negativity that we have been reciting for so long we are repositioning our intentions. What do we want to put out to ourselves and the world? Hopefully, it’s nothing but goodness. This will become a good habit and in time done consistently it will turn into another good characteristic trait for ourselves.
Conclusion
If you find yourself only focusing on the negative then it’s time for a change. What are you saying to yourselves and others around you? The things you say can and will affect you in the long run. Listen carefully to how you say things. If you say, “I can’t” well then you may never, but if you say “I am not currently able to” then that is a better mindset. Rephrase what you say and believe in yourself. What are your thought patterns?
