The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or weak.Ralph Charell
Every day, all day long, there is a story unfolding in your mind. It's the story you're telling yourself about who you are, and what your world is all about.
What kind of person are you in this story of yours? If you were reading about this character in a book, what would you think about them? Would you like and respect them?
I used to know a woman who was one of the sweetest, most gentle people I'd ever met. She was very accommodating, gracious, and easy-going — except when it came to herself. Whenever I heard her talk about herself, she always used words like "stupid", "forgetful", and "all over the place".
I never once heard her talk about herself in a positive way. Whenever I gave her a compliment or told her something I appreciated about her, I could almost see my words bouncing off of her — she'd immediately counter them with a combination of thanks and disagreement.
This sometimes led me to wonder whether her compassionate way with folks came from a place of authentic love, or merely from a sense of duty. The words she spoke about herself didn't reflect a very loving inner world.
I think we do ourselves (and ultimately, the world) a devastating disservice when we aren't conscious of our own inner story. This story is what shapes our self-image over time. It creates our worldview. And yet, we tend to be very careless in the telling of this story.
Today, I ask you: what kind of story are you telling yourself? Is it a story of resilience, beauty, and adventure? Or is it a story of loneliness and pity? Is it a story of you against the world?
If your story isn't serving you — if it's not continually boosting you into a higher space of being — then I encourage you to begin paying attention to the words and phrases you find yourself thinking on a regular basis. Take note of them, and begin to trade the destructive ones for productive ones.
Instead of tearing yourself down and reinforcing a negative self-image, try encouraging yourself. What would you say to a close friend in need of encouragement? What adjectives, nouns and advice would you speak to them?
Why not speak those same words to yourself?
Today, I invite you to take responsibility for your self-image. You, and you alone, generate the story that tells you who you are. So why not make it a beautiful one? Why not build a habit of encouraging yourself, being playful with yourself, having a sense of humor with yourself?
Why not tell a story that inspires you to be your best You?
If you celebrate your differentness, the world will, too. It believes exactly what you tell it—through the words you use to describe yourself, the actions you take to care for yourself, and the choices you make to express yourself. Tell the world you are a one-of-a-kind creation who came here to experience wonder and spread joy. Expect to be accommodated.Victoria Moran
{ Lit from Within: Tending Your Soul for Lifelong Beauty }