Self-Talk
A segment of the weekly newsletter is a weekly theme and this blog post is an enhancement to that section. Each weekly theme is an invitation and encouragement meant to help the reader better connect to themselves. Please note that the selected themes can be reflected upon at any time and are not limited to the week the themes are shared and published.
Theme: Self-Talk
This week’s theme is inspired by the Runner’s Round Table discussion with Jenniffer Johnson, in which she asked, “Are my thoughts in alignment with this run?” The question, however, has greater implications as running, in my opinion, is a reflection of life and a place where we get to fully meet ourselves (if we choose to do so). The question was a reminder of the power of words, particularly the words we speak to ourselves. The question is also an invitation to reflect on whether the words we speak to ourselves are in alignment with how we want to experience the world and how we want to show up in it. Words can build us up or tear us down. Words can also serve us to uplift us or they can be used in a way that is a disservice to our potential.
Your words set the tone for your experience. This week, the invitation is to simply notice the words you speak to yourself and to become aware of the words that you use, the tone that you use, and the feeling that the words bring up in you. Words are magic; use them to cast beautiful spells for yourself.
Practices for Reflection
Start by taking a five deep breaths to ground yourself. Then, reflect on any or all of the following questions:
What are the words you say to yourself?
In general, are the words kind?
Do the words set you up for success or are they self-sabotaging?
Does the type of self-talk change depending on what you are doing?
In what ways can you change the tone of your self-talk and cultivate more positive words?
Personal Reflection
I have always said that a person is either their biggest cheerleader or their biggest critic because of the power of the words we speak to ourselves. The way I talk to myself definitely colors the way I interact with and experience the world. My self-talk creates an expectation and even neutral self-talk can have negative implications. I’ll give an example to show what I mean:
Two neutral statements I say to myself quite often before a run are “I’m tired” and “Just show up.” These are words that reflect a state of being and a state of trying. These words also have very different impacts on my run. When I start off with “I’m tired”, I am setting myself up for not trying hard enough. Why? Because stating that “I’m tired” plants the seeds for the expectation that I don’t have the energy to do what I am about to do and I go into the run dragging my feet and wishing I didn’t have to run to begin with. However, telling myself “Just show up” sets me up for curiosity. I then go into a run with the expectation that anything can happen and I become more curious as to what I can accomplish on the run. So, while both statements may seem neutral, my experience of them colors my experience on the run with something that is either negative or positive. “I’m tired” leads to a just-enough mentality, whereas “Just show up” leads to a be-open-to-the-possibilities mentality.
The first step is to become aware of the words that color my experience. The second step is to reflect on whether or not those words are creating greater ease for myself. The final step is making a choice to keep the words as is or change them to words that better reflect the experience I want to have for myself.
