The Recording in Your Head

Your subconscious mind is recording everything that you say to yourself so that it can play it back to you.

Sometimes those messages get played over and over and over again, and this “cycling” can help you or destroy you depending on two things.

Imagine that your self-talk is like a tape recorder (yes, I’m old) or an audio recorder app. As you say things to yourself, the two things that will determine if we will succeed in moving forward or remain stuck are the messages we record and the buttons we choose to push.

If the messages (our self-talk) are positive and supportive, they will serve you better and it will be easier to keep moving forward. However, if the messages are negative and critical, you will remain stuck and unable to move on. For example, telling yourself you are learning new things in your new job every day and getting better is going to propel you forward a lot faster than telling yourself that you are incapable and don’t know how to do anything because you’ve never done it before.

The buttons you choose to push can either make those messages a friend or a foe. For example, if you’re supportive and compassionate with yourself, and you keep hitting “rewind/play,” you will hear that positive and supportive message again and again. However, if you hit “rewind/play,” and your self-talk message is critical…