Affirmations and Inner Dialog

Recently, I was encouraged by a colleague to reread the now classic book by Shad Helmstetter, 'What To Say When You Talk To Yourself'. One of the things that Shad says yet doesn't go into the importance of doing, is creating dialog in your 'self talk'.

Through my personalized books, coaching, consulting and speaking, my interactions with people always causes a certain question to surface. When referencing self talk or personal affirmations , people want to know, 'How can I make affirmations that will bring the quickest and most profound results in my life?'

If you've been around some of the same kind of people that I've been around in my life, you've probably heard the comment humorously made, "It's o.k. to talk to yourself, but when you start answering yourself, then you might want to seek out some psychological help."

Your mind has amazing abilities. The distinction between the function of your brain and the abilities and function of the mind should be made in order to know how you think. Especially, how to think more effectively.

The brain is an internal organ. It has certain functions which can be fairly clear in defining. The mind, on the other hand, has the ability to step away from the brain (and the body) and analyze even the brain.

Your mind is this mysterious function of your brain. Your mind's imagination can take you to back to your childhood in just one second. It can take you to a place where you have visited before in your life. It can take you to a place that you've never been and project it into your future.

Your mind has a desire to communicate. I've heard people speak negatively of 'self talk'. Many of these people have also spoken negatively of 'inner visualization.' Another highly effective personal tool that helps you create the life that you desire.

I was in San Antonio, Texas one time when I heard a minister speak on the subject of 'visualization' and 'self talk'. He said that he has heard several religious people put down these practices in the circles that he associates with. He also added, 'If you don't visualize and talk to yourself, then you are either dead or brain dead.' You see, what the minister was saying is, 'self talk and visualization' IS THE process of thinking.

Many affirmations and self talk are centered around short positive statements of things that you want to attract and create in your life. The are usually created in monologue. However, the mind wants to communicate in dialog.

Part of the ability of your mind is the ability to not only talk to yourself but also to answer. You carry on a 'dialog' in your mind. The effectiveness of dialog in the practice of making affirmations has been all but ignored. Nonetheless, when 'dialog' is used, the effectiveness of the affirmation or self talk, soars.

The mind loves dialog. There is a certain completeness to dialog in your affirmations, self talk and thinking. I think we experience this in our need to enter into conversation (dialog) with other people. It is a basic human need that we all have in common.

In my experiences, I have found that most people who are chronic negative thinkers, are generally only engaged in monologue. It is a berating voice from within that tells them that they are 'no good', 'in adequate', 'not worthy' or the very common, 'nothing ever good happens to me'.

There is an opposing voice to negativity within each of use. This opposing voice is what keeps us from going insane or delving into such despair that we would truly cease to want to live. This opposing voice is necessary for our survival. It is a more positive voice that keeps us in the game of life.

The reason that most people get bombarded by negative thinking is that they are only listening to the self defeating, negative voice.

When you begin to allow the opposing and more positive voice to enter into dialog with your negative voice, then you will begin to experience and literally 'feel' what I'm saying to you.

The negative voice reminds you of your inadequacies. The positive voice is what I like to call the 'yeah but' voice. Let me give you an example.

I am a writer. I am also an entrepreneur . There are a lot of bankrupt and poor writers in the world. I've chosen not to be one of them. However, when sales are not what I expect or even fall drastically, I am tempted to listen to the voice that monologues, 'everything is falling apart'. But when I allow the inner opposing voice that brings me back to rational thinking, it says, 'Yeah, Michael. It is true that sales are off right now. However, you've received recognition from some of the world's greatest success experts and highly credible people.'

When I allow the dialog to take place in my self talk, there is always an opposing and more positive voice. Now, when I train my mind to make both voices more positive, I truly experience the full power and benefits of self talk and affirmations.

The magic of it all is as if I have two voices (which in fact I do) that are for my success instead of one. What if you had two people who were highly encouraging you in your life all of the time? What if you were able to enter into dialog with them anytime that you want? It would be massively empowering to you.

I want you to just consider what I've shared with you here. Allow those voices to argue the case for your success, wealth, health and happiness. Test it and see if you don't feel different within. See if it doesn't make a notable difference in your attitude , your thinking and your results in your life.