Positive Self-Talk Skill
Sometimes all we have is the power of our own self-talk. There are hundreds of stories of people in dire situations who believed they had no more energy to carry on, yet they survived. Examples of this include Victor Frankl who survived a concentration camp. Another example is Donald Driver, who was raised in economically depressed city, was tempted by the street life, but became one of the best Green Bay Packer receivers ever and is now a best-selling author. Oprah Winfrey is another great example. She endured both physical and sexual abuse, she worked hard to overcome the burdens, and she became very successful. Those people who are successful, very often did not come by things easily. Malcolm Gladwell discusses this particular topic in detail in his book entitled, “David and Goliath.” In fact, the struggles these people endured made them stronger and it gave them an advantage over others.
The Backwards Brain Bicycle
Remember, we practice our ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) since the time we were 7. Hence, it is helpful to identify the few repeating ANTs that occur most often and change those quickly to something we prefer to believe. It takes time to revise our thought patterns as demonstrated by Destin in the Smarter Every Day video. Click on the video to see how long it takes Destin to change his way of thinking about one thing – riding a bicycle.