Do you ever talk to yourself?

Do you ever talk to yourself?

If your answer is no, you're lying.

If your answer is yes, what do you say to yourself?  Things like this?

• I'm an incredible human being with so much to offer the world.
• I'm healthy & strong.  I love my body, especially my hips & elbows.
• In two years I'll own a successful bakery because I make amazing cookies, I love to bake, & I know I can figure it out.
• I’m so grateful it was only $700 to get my car fixed.  Cheaper than a new car!
• Julie hasn't called me back yet.  I'm sure she just didn't get my message or she's been busy. 

OR...

1. I'm such a lardo.  How did I get this extra chin?
2. Why do THEY always get to go on tropical vacations?  I wish I could do that.
3. Another day that I DIDN’T get to everything on my list. Why can't I ever get everything done?
4. What if the doctor says my headaches are from the wind turbines they put near our house?  Great. Now we'll have to move.  The kids will have to go to a new school district.  I'll be further from work.  Why did we spend so much renovating the kitchen?
5. So tonight I need to pick Joey up from band, then Susie has ukulele lessons at 5:30.  When in the hell are we going to eat?  Joey doesn't even like band.  Why do we keep making him go out for band?
6. Everyone else figured it out.  Why can't I?

Am I the only one who doesn’t consciously consider how much I love my elbows?

Am I the only one who often has the 2nd kind of swirling thoughts?

Probably not.

A lot of it to just get through the day. And a lot of it is just crap. Right??

Why do we talk to ourselves like that?

Why do we LET ourselves talk to ourselves like that?

Would we ever talk to someone else this way?  (Ok...At least if we hadn’t been quarantined with them for several weeks?)

And how can we lead better lives if we’re constantly telling ourselves we can’t?

ONE way to HELP ourselves reprogram our brains & lead better lives is to JOURNAL.

I know, I know...You’ve heard it before, you don’t have time, you don’t think it would help, anyway.

I told myself the same thing for over 40 years...regardless of how many people encouraged it.

Then I realized NOT journaling wasn’t helping, so I gave it a try.

And I’ve been journaling nearly every day for two years.

I’ve changed what & how I’ve journaled over the past couple years, & sometimes I change it up based on what I need THAT day.

At least a couple times in the last few weeks, I've noted  I'm grateful for the boys NOT being allergic to peanut butter...seriously…& it has helped me get through yet another quarantine feeding session.

I’ve talked to the boys about journaling, to the degree their brains & attention spans would allow, & Izaak apparently understood it helps me work through things...Because I found my journal open to this one day…

And when I said, “Did you happen to write in my journal?” he said he hadn't & nearly peed his pants from laughing.

Anyway...I encourage you to give it a whirl.

Perhaps it will help you work through your habit of pooping on your bed. 

Or perhaps it will help you appreciate sunny days even more...or help you recognize your strengths.  

You won’t know until you try.  What’s the worst that could happen?

What's the BEST that could happen?