There's this kind of virus that everybody has.

It's something no one can physically see as it does no immediate outward damage. In fact, it could remain hidden forever from others.

You don't need a doctor to diagnosis it. You don't even need an internet search. You just need a quick internal exam that you can perform right now—right where you are.

What are some of the things your inner voice says to you? 

I talk to myself horribly sometimes. I wouldn't talk that way to any other person. If my kids ever said those kinds of things to someone, I would be so embarrassed. And if I heard my friends talking like that about themselves, it would make me really upset.

Negative self-talk.

It has infected 100% of us at some point in our lives. 

Self-talk is that inner voice the informs you about your value, worth, relevancy, abilities. It's chattering nonstop, and it can either be saying positive things ("I am great!") or negative things ("I always fail…"). 

Self-talk is a critical part of how you see yourself, and it directly influences how others will see you. As you talk to yourself, you start behaving in ways that are consistent with what you tell yourself.

For instance, positive self-talk can help you exude confidence when walking into a new social setting. You'll be more open to possibilities and ready to take on the room. "I'm going to rock this!"

Negative self-talk, however, can strip you of all self-confidence and sabotage your potential for success. "Another opportunity to fail. Why even bother?"

Sabotaging Yourself With Self-Talk

Negative self-talk has a myriad of consequences, including increased worry and anxiety, feeling down and sad, decreased self-confidence, stress, feelings of helplessness, and negativity. And guess what typically isn't a result of speaking to ourselves harshly? Positive change. 

Perhaps you picked up this negative inner voice from harsh criticism you received as a child, or maybe you have adopted it as a part of your perfectionistic personality. Maybe it's from trying and failing so many times. Regardless of its origin, it happens to the best of us. From the smallest of mistakes to our perceived flaws and insecurities, we have stories we tell ourselves that are sabotaging our future success.

Forgot to press start on the dryer after I put in the clothes. I'm so stupid.

Tried to lose weight but can't stop eating junk food. I'm such a failure. 

Another Saturday night home alone. I'm so ugly.  

This negative way of speaking to ourselves can ultimately hold us in a place where we don't move forward with our goals or make the positive changes we need to make. If you're consistently telling yourself you're dumb, you will (whether intentionally or subconsciously) begin to look for evidence that you are, in fact, dumb.

Negative self-talk sets off a snowball effect of confirmation bias, where we start to view the world in a way that confirms our beliefs. 

Changing the Script

Your belief system will set the tone of your life, but you may be letting negative emotions inform your beliefs. Many of us feel our way into our beliefs. We believe something is real because it FEELS real.

But what if you decided today—right now—that you will choose to believe your way into your feelings? That the way you feel and the way you talk to yourself could radically change the way you live your life? 

Revered psychologist William James said: 

"Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact."

The first step in success is to believe you can succeed—whether you feel like you can or not. The power of trusting in yourself is the strength you need to create significant changes in your life.

Next time you talk yourself out of success with negative self-talk, STOP!

Challenge your self-talk. "Hey! You're not going to talk to me that way."

Choose to think differently. Remind yourself of a time when you DID succeed or how worthy you are to try again. Be your own advocate and champion. See the value in yourself, and others will see it too!  

Positive self-talk creates more positive outcomes and is the key to success.

Get Support

Whatever obstacle you're facing, you're not alone. You can overcome any insecurity,move beyond mediocrity, and become a healthier, happier YOU. 

At Nu Image Medical, we take a radically different and individualized approach to guiding you toward the best version of yourself. Our innovative and medically-supervised solutions will help you:

• Improve your health
• Build your confidence
• Boost your vitality

It's time to believe that you CAN get the look and the life you deserve.

Repeat after me…

You got this!

You're going to be so successful.

You'll do great.

You can do it!

GET STARTED NOW

Nu Image Medical® offers a new and futuristic approach to achieving optimal health and wellness. The company has been a weight loss, anti-aging and wellness provider since 2004 and offers medically supervised programs for medical weight loss, peptides, erectile dysfunction, scream cream, and hair loss (NuDew) 

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your physician about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Nu Image Medical may not offer the medications or services mentioned in this article.