4 out of 5 voices in my head said “Share this in a blog post!”

It was during a phone call with one of my business coaches last Friday that I first considered sharing one of my “little” idiosyncrasies with you. It’s a challenge I generally have under control, but seems to creep up on me from time to time. You see, I hear little voices in my head. No, it’s not the kind of voices you’d expect to hear on Scooby-Doo or in The Shining (watch this if you want to be freaked-out). It has more to do with negative chatter in my head that sometimes says “Quit! Turn back! You’re not good enough! Take the easier route.” I know I’m not alone…this destructive self-talk is a challenge for most of us. Although naysayers and past negative reinforcement may fuel it, the reality is that we’re in control of our own minds–we create the negative chatter, and we can transform it.

I was roaming around my friend Darrell Fusaro’s site at PlainPockets.com yesterday and I came upon these cartoons he created that perfectly illustrate the point. Finding these seemed confirmation that I should mention this to you.

Shortly after I began studying martial arts I recognized that much of my internal angst and self-talk was wrapped up in replaying the past, stressing about things in the future…and not breathing. Note to self: I must remember to BREATHE. Sounds simple, doesn’t it. By the simple act of deeply breathing air in, and letting it out I’m now able to get back to the present moment (and linger there). The chatter quickly disappears. It’s taken some practice, but now I simply push the negative stuff aside and replace it with positive chatter and words of self-encouragement that I repeat throughout the day.

Of course, a daily dose of Cheap Trick doesn’t hurt.