adina1
09-16-04, 11:47 AM
My psychologist recommended this book called "Telling Yourself the Truth", which is all about perception & what you tell yourself constantly.
The idea is if you change what you tell yourself, you can then change what you think about it, and then actually change your behavior.
In our pop psychology world, we have probably heard this a lot, but if you actually think about it, it is very powerful.
The psychology book above is written from a Christian perspective using many quotes from the Bible. I am not Christian myself, but I thought I would check it out. It is supposedly an easy read too. The idea it presents is not a new one, & there are many books out there with the same idea.
I changed my perception many times, without realizing that was what i was actually doing, to help me change behaviors that were not working for me.
For example, I used to be very shy (no one who knows me now would ever believe that). I used to tell myself that I have nothing special to say or that everyone will stare at me, and many other inaccurate thoughts that kept me isolated from others.
After feeling left out so many times, i finally started to ask myself if those things were true, and watched others, and realized they were not true. Anyway, with babysteps, I started to be more & more outgoing (now you can't get me to stop talking).
I did the same thing with me perfectionist ideas (it's more important to get it done & just do my best & I would think of the pain I felt when I could never finish anything) Actually, i am still working on that one (babysteps);), but have improved a lot.
There are so many things we tell ourselves without even realizing that are not true, and then affect our self-image, behavior, and relationships with others.
To change our perception, here's my understanding of how it works:
1. The idea is that we should 1st be aware of what we tell ourselves (our ADD minds are always full of these messages), then question whether or not they are true.
2.If they are false, we should acknowledge that.
3. Then we should replace the false idea with a true one that would bring us the change we want in our behavior.
For example for procrastination, we always tell ourselves how hard the tasks we need to do are, we imagine how painful the experience will be, etc.
Maybe if we change our perceptions, and think of work as the reward (just think of how you feel when a job is done/sense of accomplishment/more money/feeling human), and think of procrastination as the actual chore or the thing that stops you from "living".
It might seem like a stretch, but if you really think of it, it's true isn't it? I wish I could think like that myself. I really think so much is about how we perceive it.
I challenge you guys to catch yourselves or really listen to what you tell yourself when you are happy, frustrated, or struggling with something. Is this belief helping you get the behaviors you want? If not, what could you change it with that would be empowering? Try it, and tell us.
Has anyone changed their perceptions in the past with success?
The idea is if you change what you tell yourself, you can then change what you think about it, and then actually change your behavior.
In our pop psychology world, we have probably heard this a lot, but if you actually think about it, it is very powerful.
The psychology book above is written from a Christian perspective using many quotes from the Bible. I am not Christian myself, but I thought I would check it out. It is supposedly an easy read too. The idea it presents is not a new one, & there are many books out there with the same idea.
I changed my perception many times, without realizing that was what i was actually doing, to help me change behaviors that were not working for me.
For example, I used to be very shy (no one who knows me now would ever believe that). I used to tell myself that I have nothing special to say or that everyone will stare at me, and many other inaccurate thoughts that kept me isolated from others.
After feeling left out so many times, i finally started to ask myself if those things were true, and watched others, and realized they were not true. Anyway, with babysteps, I started to be more & more outgoing (now you can't get me to stop talking).
I did the same thing with me perfectionist ideas (it's more important to get it done & just do my best & I would think of the pain I felt when I could never finish anything) Actually, i am still working on that one (babysteps);), but have improved a lot.
There are so many things we tell ourselves without even realizing that are not true, and then affect our self-image, behavior, and relationships with others.
To change our perception, here's my understanding of how it works:
1. The idea is that we should 1st be aware of what we tell ourselves (our ADD minds are always full of these messages), then question whether or not they are true.
2.If they are false, we should acknowledge that.
3. Then we should replace the false idea with a true one that would bring us the change we want in our behavior.
For example for procrastination, we always tell ourselves how hard the tasks we need to do are, we imagine how painful the experience will be, etc.
Maybe if we change our perceptions, and think of work as the reward (just think of how you feel when a job is done/sense of accomplishment/more money/feeling human), and think of procrastination as the actual chore or the thing that stops you from "living".
It might seem like a stretch, but if you really think of it, it's true isn't it? I wish I could think like that myself. I really think so much is about how we perceive it.
I challenge you guys to catch yourselves or really listen to what you tell yourself when you are happy, frustrated, or struggling with something. Is this belief helping you get the behaviors you want? If not, what could you change it with that would be empowering? Try it, and tell us.
Has anyone changed their perceptions in the past with success?