As you know, this year my goal is to Connect. One area I am trying to improve upon is connecting more with my spirit and soul.
Did you know that what you say to yourself and about yourself affects you more than you realize?
Proverbs 23:7 says :"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
What we think and say to ourselves, our spirits and bodies become.
"Boy do I look fat today!"
"I'm such a terrible mother! Why can't I ___________?"
"Why can't I keep a clean house like everyone else?"
"Gosh! I hate my hair!"
"I am so impatient!"
The list goes on and on. It's called Negative Self-Talk, and it is not good.
It's a fact -"If we are thinking unwholesome or negative thoughts, it is going to show up in our emotions and eventually in our behavior." - Larry Crenshaw
It is not healthy for our spirits to be told these lies.
One way I have set about to change this is by using I AM STATEMENTS.
Every morning after my individual prayer, I have a list of I AM statements that I tell myself out-loud (I believe saying them out-loud is important). The list contains statements of the kind of person I want to be - the "Perfect Me", or things I need to remind myself of daily.
For example:
I AM a daughter of God -He loves me.
I AM kind to others
I AM patient
I AM strong
I AM powerful
I AM capable of success
I AM mothering successful, loving, God-fearing, righteous children
I AM grateful for my body. It is healthy, strong, and beautiful.
I AM debt-free
I AM successful in all I do.
As you tell these things to yourself each day, your mind and soul really start to believe them, and you become what you believe you are.
Try it for yourself. I promise you it will change your life.
The other thing I am trying to do is to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. For example, if I'm frustrated with one of my kids, my natural reaction is to think something negative (either about them or me) - "What a naughty boy. He's never going to succeed in life. He's going to end up living in a van down by the river." As soon as my thoughts turn to this negativity, I immediately tell myself to "STOP, Let it go!" I then proceed to fill my mind with positive thoughts. "I am raising such a great kid! He is going to be so successful. I can't wait to see all thing good things he accomplishes with his life."
It is amazing how my whole demeanor changes. I am able to quickly get over whatever it was that bothered me, and I'm able to feel nothing but love and "good vibes" for that person who just seconds ago upset me. My spirit is happier when I let go of the negativity.
As wise man once said:
"I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still voices of insult and sarcasm (especially to and about ourselves), that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. . . What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate (including ourselves), that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. . .Do you feel gloomy? Lift your eyes. Stand on your feet. . .Be positive. . ."