Hey there. How do you talk to yourself? When you take a step back and observe your own thoughts, what do you hear? Are you encouraging and supportive, or do you criticize yourself without even realizing it? The way you talk to yourself matters more than you think. It affects your confidence, your actions, and even how others perceive you.
Your self-talk is an ongoing conversation, whether you’re aware of it or not. Some people have a clear, constant dialogue in their heads, while others just feel a certain way without putting words to it. Either way, your inner voice influences everything. If your self-talk leans negative, it can hold you back. If it leans positive, it can push you forward. But here’s the thing—just telling yourself to be more positive isn’t enough.
It all starts with awareness. When you recognize how you’re speaking to yourself, you can start making adjustments. Ask yourself, am I treating myself with the same kindness and encouragement I would offer a friend? Or am I being overly harsh and critical? Holding yourself accountable is important, but it should come from a place of self-respect, not self-judgment.
This is where the inside-out process comes in. How you view yourself internally impacts how you carry yourself externally. If your self-talk is full of doubt and negativity, it will show in your body language, your tone, and your interactions with others. But when you start speaking to yourself with confidence and self-assurance, you begin to carry yourself differently. People pick up on that energy.
Affirmations can play a role in shifting your mindset, but they work best when they are built on a strong foundation. Repeating positive statements without truly believing them won’t create real change. Instead, start by observing your current self-talk and making small shifts. If you catch yourself thinking, “I always mess things up,” try reframing it to, “I’m learning from my mistakes.” Small adjustments like this can make a huge difference over time.
Another thing to consider is how your perception of others is often a reflection of your own self-talk. If you are struggling with self-doubt, you may notice and fixate on qualities in others that you feel you lack. But those perceptions may not even be accurate. People project their own insecurities and experiences onto the world around them, which is why building self-awareness is so important.
So take a moment to check in with yourself. What kind of conversation are you having in your head? Is it pushing you forward or holding you back? The more you practice observing and reshaping your self-talk, the more confident and capable you’ll feel.
If you want to dive deeper into building confidence from the inside out, consider joining The YLF Experience. It’s designed to help you connect with yourself and develop a process that truly fits your life.