By Clint McLain | Image by Al Blanton

Hello again. In the last issue, we discussed how we are either building towards a vision for our lives or we are victims of circumstances. I believe that this next topic can go a long way to help you get (and stay) on track.

Let’s talk about self talk. That’s right. We talk to ourselves. A lot. In fact, experts suggest that we talk to ourselves a whopping 50,000 to 70,000 times each day! Let that sink in for just a moment! 

The experts also say that 98 to 99% of our self talk is habitual, meaning we have the same thoughts day after day.

You may be wondering why I am giving you this information. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that 80% of our thoughts are negative. Do the math. That means that we are bombarding ourselves with 40,000 to 56,000 negative thoughts each day! And we are doing it habitually without even being aware of it!

That’s the interesting news. Now for the great news!

“Your mind is like a muscle. This means that you can train it!”

I was first introduced to this concept a couple of years ago. Those close to me know that I haven’t been a person that is an expert in health., but I am getting better with it. In the past, anytime I found myself in the gym I would say, “I don’t really know what I am doing. I have never done this before.” What I was really doing was allowing myself a way out of exercising. I was preemptively excusing my poor efforts. 

I had a personal consultant who helped me to be conscious of the words in my mind and the words coming out of my mouth. He told me to catch those negative thoughts and instead begin saying, “I am here to learn. I am here to improve my health and get better.” 

I used to loathe the idea of going to a gym and exercising, but now I look forward to my workouts!

Think about what you think about. Think about what you say. The words in your mind and on your lips are very powerful! Psalm 19:14 says “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” The consultant helped me to realize that my thoughts were in conflict with what I desired, which was to become healthier. He helped me realize that this conflict in my heart was not pleasing to God. 

We must work at it. Training the mind might take a lifetime, but here are some tips to get you started:

1.     Pray. God’s power is much greater than ours!

2.     Expose yourself to words that are positive and full of hope. I like to read self help books. And I love to read Scriptures for hopeful words! Here are some of my favorites: Philippians 4:13; Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 27:11.

3.     Remember this concept often. I still correct my thoughts, even to this day. It takes fortitude to create new habits.

4.     Be patient with yourself. Do not let yourself become negative if you have a slip up. I can’t emphasize this enough. Remember that you’re training your mind to become a more positive and hopeful person. That is hard to do if you get down on yourself.

Training my mind to be more positive has allowed my actions to become more positive. I have more positive relationships with my loved ones, friends, and peers. I have a more positive health outlook. I have more positive traction in my career. It has truly been a blessing in my life. I hope that this will be a blessing in your life as well. As always, my aim is to be of value to you. Thank you and God bless. 78

Clinton A. McLain, Agency Owner, Liberty National

Ph: (205) 387-0531

Web: https://ln.globelifeinsurance.com/clintmclain

E-mail: cmclain@libnat.com

Our agency is looking for individuals that desire to grow. If you, or someone you know, would like more information about a career with us, please reach out soon!