May 2016 | Page 59

F rom a young age, you were likely taught to be kind when speaking to others—even strangers. But how do you speak to yourself? It’s fairly common to have lessthan-kind inner dialogues. This is important because so much of what you accomplish, how you present yourself, and how you feel about life is connected to the quality of your own self-talk. What you say to yourself is crucial for developing the best overall wellness and satisfaction in life. By being more in tune with your inner voice, you can actually manifest a happier and healthier life. LISTEN FOR YOUR INNER VOICE It can be difficult at first to identify your inner voice if you’re not used to paying attention to it. A lot of reactionary thoughts are born from habits formed over many years, since you were a child, so you may not even notice them dayto-day. These thoughts are often based on how others have spoken to you (or about you) in the past, which you begin to take unquestionably as fact. To break away from this, start paying attention to your inner dialogue each day. What do you think when you first wake up in the morning? What are your thoughts when you look in the mirror? What’s going on in your head when you make a mistake or are feeling stressed? Examine these thoughts. Then, write about them. Keep a thought journal and try to write in it each day, even if it’s just for a few minutes. At the end of the week, take a look at your entries to examine your thinking patterns. Are they positive and kind or overly critical? eydismedia.com 59