I just read something today that reinforces what I have always believed about communicating. Keep it positive. Enjoy this analogy from Cliff Swain-Salomon:
Tell a dog, “don’t sit” and obviously the dog will sit. Likewise, our own brain hears the undesirable behavior, focuses on it, and reinforces it, rather than the desired outcome. Using words such as “but” negates the first half of the sentence, for example, “I love you, but... "
So please keep your language positive. INCLUDING YOUR SELF-TALK, please!
I have always suggested to my friends and to my kids when they were camp counselors that they focus on telling kids and campers what TO DO and not what not to do. Did you ever wonder why a child reaches for the stove when you tell him/her not to touch a burner? The subconscious mind only hears the suggestion and discards the negative language.
With Hypnotherapy clients, we focus on positive language. I suggest to my weight management clients that they choose healthier foods to crowd out those they should stay away from. Listing the foods they should avoid will create a craving! Clients with fears and phobias learn to release those emotions and reframe with positive feelings.
So listen to yourself today. Start with your self-talk! Remind yourself how great you look, how wonderful you feel, how proud you are of your accomplishment! And then pay it forward.
Namaste',
Bev