So i’ve recently read Shad Helmstetter’s “What to say when you talk to your self”, recommended to me by NLP Trainer Jamie Smart. The book works on the premise that your unconscious is directed by what it hears, both internally, by that little voice we all have, and externally, by what we say and what others say to us.
The main point is that for most of us, we hear more criticism and self-limiting statements than anything else. These messages osmose in to our unconscious, which works 24/7 to make sense of and realise the goals that are being heard.
So this means that for many of us our unconscious is working on unknown goals. Added to that , much of our self-talk is negative. Comments like “I can’t remember names”;”I’m fat”; “I’m no good at giving presentations” etc., are self-limiting. Whilst we sleep our unconscious processes these comments to ensure that our physiology supports these statements. Robert Anton Wilson (Prometheus Rising) suggested that our mind and body consist of two aspects - the thinker and the prover. What the thinker thinks, the prover proves.
And so the crux of the book is that you can effect significant positive change in yourself without hypnosis, without subliminals, without “positive thinking” and without spending hundreds of pounds on self-improvement materials that all have different messages. Shad suggests that huge change can be made simply by talking to yourself differently.
By talking internally and externally in the positive, present tense, your mind and body work towards your goals.
So, today, when someone asks you how you are, reply with “I’m very good” or “I’m excellent,thanks”, and see how much better that makes you feel. Just that simple exercise demonstrates the power of self-talk.
