Inner dialogue is how you formulate your thoughts in your own mind. Does the way in which you conduct this conversation with yourself impact the actions you eventually choose to take? The answer is a resounding “Yes!”.
If you typically conduct a more negative or “reactive” conversation with yourself (“I have no control over anything.”) then the result can make you feel as though the obstacles you face are insurmountable. Instead of being a “glass half full person”, you run the risk of having a glass which is permanently half empty. You can be sure this will prevent you from being resourceful when times are tough and you need to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties
Your choice of specific words is often down to habit or behavioural patterns that may need overhauling if you want to stay resourceful and maintain forward momentum. Tough times demand new strategies and new strategies sometimes mean changing the way you think about things and represent them to yourself.
Kick Start creativity: choose pro-active words
Proactive language (“I choose to influence the things which I CAN change.”) keeps your energy more positive and creative.
Swap “There’s nothing I can do.”
for “Lets look at our alternatives.”
Replace “They won’t allow that.”
with “I can create an effective plan.”
Banish “I can’t.”
implement “I choose.”
Of course, there is no such thing as a 100% guarantee for anything but using pro-active language may just open up new choices and solutions for you when you need them the most!
How to be more effective with proactive communication forms part of our Focus Area “Personal Mastery”