I don’t know about you, but I manage to tell myself several lies a day. And sometimes it stops me doing the things I want to.
Often I’ll spot my own lies…like when I call myself stupid for messing something up or call myself fat when I can’t fit into an old dress.
But it’s the lies we don’t spot that worry me. The endless ways we sabotage our own potential.
I hear them all the time when I’m talking to people about photos, and photos are such a small part of business…imagine the damage we’re doing in other areas of life!
- I’m too fat for photos
- I’m not photogenic
- I’m not glamorous enough
- I’m just not that type of person
- I have no sense of dress
- I’m too old
- I’m not pretty enough
All this negative talk stops you doing so much, its linked with higher levels of stress and lower levels of self esteem. This can lead to decreased motivation as well as greater feelings of helplessness.
So here are my tips for dealing with it…and bear in mind I’m still working on it all myself!
Catch the chat
Just literally listen to the things you tell yourself.
Once you start listening you spot the negative stuff and even if you don’t try to correct yourself straightaway, it’s interesting to realise how often it happens.
It’s not all black & white
Most things aren’t black and white. You might have put on a few pounds but that doesn’t make you fat. It just means you’ve put on a few pounds.
Just because the photos on my iPhone make me look old doesn’t mean I always look like that. It’s just a poor photo.
One bad day does not make a bad life.
Say it out loud
Imagine saying the things out loud that you say to yourself. How cringeworthy would that be?
If you heard a friend talking to themselves like this you’d be mortified and jump straight in to point out how wonderful they are.
Is it really true?
Your own brain lies to you. It says things to you that make you question your own self worth. It compares you to other people and even to younger versions of yourself.
But is what it’s telling you actually true? Are you really useless, unloveable or is it just your that negative talk again?
