“I’m not good enough.”
“I’m not smart enough.”
“I’ll never be as good as her.”
Have you ever had the feeling that there is something wrong with you? That your mistakes mean you are incompetent and without value? If so, then it is possible that you have been sabotaging your own happiness by harboring negative thoughts about who you think you are and what you believe you are capable of.
You literally become what you think.
The thoughts you think on a daily basis have the power to effect every aspect of your life in either a positive or negative way. As professional women, we often encounter daily situations which can cause us to doubt our own self-worth and capabilities. Whether it comes in the form of trying to keep a stable home-life while working a full-time job or attempting to take your start-up company to new heights, each situation produces the environment needed to begin retraining your brain for a more successful life.
One of the most amazing aspects of our brain is that, with effort, its patterns can positively change for the better
These changes are not going to happen overnight, however. They are going to take the daily effort needed to cultivate a more positive way of thinking . The hard science of retraining your brain for success begins with you taking notice of the thoughts which are causing you to self-sabotage. According to research, thoughts alone could lead to anguish. Through the use of cognitive behavior therapy or CBT, people are able to relieve emotional distress by changing their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes.
Meditation increases both awareness and focus
By disputing their negative beliefs they are then able to test new possibilities in order to create a more positive truth for themselves. There are a couple of well-known psychological techniques which, when used, can pinpoint and dispute negative thought patterns. One of these techniques is meditation. Mindfulness meditation slows down the processes of the brain in order for us to become less distracted by run-on thoughts concerning the past and the future.
Observation leads to choice
Another technique which can help to deal with a negative mindset is to simply observe your thoughts. Observing your thoughts will allow you to see the negativity you hold without the pressure to respond. We can choose to follow our negative self-defeating thoughts, or we can choose to step back, observe them, and accept them for what they are, but then keep going. Just because the thought is there does not make it your truth.
By challenging your own negativity you will be more equipped to make the professional decisions necessary to succeed in your life.
The self-judgment and harsh criticism will slowly become self-compassion and understanding. You will begin to feel better about set-backs and mistakes because you no longer believe the negative thoughts associated with them. Success in this life is not determined only by how well you work, it is also determined by how well you think.