#87: Self-Talk For Success

I often think of Jim, a friend for several decades, who is the most positive guy I know. I've learned to catch myself as I am about to say "If I can..." and immediately change it to "When I..."

I think one reason we have remained friends over the years and the 1,700 miles that separate us is because we're both positive people. He for sure. Me generally. Another reason is our shared sense of humor.

Whether or not you believe in astrology, it has helped me many times when I've needed a pep talk. You see, I'm a Gemini, the sign of the twins, one positive and one negative. Add to that I've got O-negative blood.

One day as Jim and I talked, he remarked that I didn't seem my usual cheery self. Without thinking of any deeper meaning behind my answer, I jokingly replied by telling him that every morning when I get up and often throughout the days I have two negative strikes against me that I have to overcome in order to get in a good mood.

The first is the negative Gemini twin Skippy, my name for him. The second is the fact that at all times I have negative corpuscles streaming through my veins and arteries.

For some reason, just the image of those two negatives makes us laugh. But it's true. Every day when I want to exercise or continue on for a few extra minutes on the treadmill or to do a few more push ups, Skippy is right there telling me I'll never make it and to go ahead and stop, that I'm tired, my muscles hurt or that I can do it another time. He then reminds me that he is only one negative strike I need to deal with.

For those of you wondering about my talking to myself, the famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar often says he does not believe it is wrong to talk to ourself. Nor does he see a problem with answering ourself back. The problem, in his humorous opinion, is when we talk to ourselves, answer ourselves, then ask, "Huh?" because we weren't paying attention to ourself. :)

Do you have a Skippy in your life, or those pesky negative corpuscles floating around inside of you?

Well, do what I do and tell them that in math two negatives equal a positive and therefore they have no influence over me, that I'm just going to make those negative corpuscles work harder to show Skippy who's boss. Then I break into a faster jog on the treadmill or find an energy reserve to pump out a few more push ups, telling my alter-ego that "I'll show you!"

What is the Skippy in your life? What is he or she telling you when you eat or when you exercise? Are you listening to the negative voice in your head that says you will not be able to make it, that you'll fail?

Or do you take them on full bore straightaway and show them who's boss?

Here's to an extra push up or two.