Changing Our Self-Talk

“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions,” said Albert Einstein. 

Form follows energy

So, how are you using your imagination and what sort of things are you imagining into being? We live in a world that encourages us to dwell in negativity and fear. Often, the pictures we create in our minds are not anything that we want to bring into our experience. Yet, as Einstein reminds us, form follows energy so if we are using our imagination unconsciously, we may find ourselves inadvertently drawing towards us the very things we don’t want. 

Becoming aware of the images we are creating in our minds and our internal self-talk can be life-changing… literally. 

Talk to the negative parts of yourself

Noticing when you are creating negative pictures inside your mind or running unhelpful dialogue in your head is the first step in the process of change. It’s important to be kind to yourself and not berate yourself for the negative thoughts or images (otherwise this will simply compound the problem). Try and accept that the thoughts or pictures are there for a reason, even though you might not be able to see what it is yet.

A technique used in Gestalt therapy is to have a dialogue with that part of yourself that is coming up with all the negatives. As it to explain why and what the negativity is there for. Keep asking questions so you can clarify for yourself where that thought/image is coming from and what it is hoping to achieve. Ask that part of yourself whether you might be able to achieve the same thing in a different way. You might want to write down your responses. 

Observe your thoughts

Observe your self-talk without judgment. Observing your thoughts and feelings allows you to recognise that you are not your thoughts and feelings, that they are separate to you. When you adopt the role of observer, you are connecting to your pure consciousness – the essence of you – rather than being caught in the hamster-wheel of negativity and fear.

The importance of self-care

Sometimes, you may be blocked from moving towards something more positive because it means facing your fears. Maybe you don’t believe you can overcome them. Or maybe you simply don’t have the energy right now. Change is tiring so it’s important to rest, get enough sleep and eat nutritious food. Learning to look after ourselves properly is an integral part of rewiring our negative self-image, so self-care is a great place to start.

Positive mental pictures

Walking outside in nature can be helpful, too, particularly if you are also receiving healing or having counselling or psychotherapy. However, even if you are not working with a professional healer or therapist, creating a mental picture of yourself as healthy and happy and well cared-for can be very effective. If you can, remember a time when you felt like this. If not, try and imagine how it would feel – how you would think, talk, look and be.

Kanzenon

Our founder, Yumiko, teaches people to use a mantra from the Zen tradition called Kanzenon (観世音). Kanzenon links to Kuan Yin - a Buddhist bodhisattva (person on the path of enlightenment) associated with compassion. Kanzenon is one of the ten Zen phrases believed to prolong life. By making the sound ‘Kanzenon’ either silently inside your mind or by speaking it out loud, you strengthen your connection with your own inner wisdom. 

You may have heard about the benefits of using affirmations to change negative self-talk. Maybe you’ve tried them yourself. It can be hard, however, if you are feeling very negative to say a positive affirmation, let alone believe it. The advantage of using Kanzenon is that it is simply a sound, so you are likely to encounter less internal resistance as you say it.

If you would like more information about our courses short courses or more in-depth studies led by our founder, Yumiko, contact Leaves Institute.