The power of Positive Self-Talk
The power of Positive Self-Talk
How your mind listens and responds to what you tell it
Dear Friends,
In my 64 years as a clinical psychologist, I've learned a few crucial lessons: one of the keys to happiness lies in taking control of your mind.
It's a skill that requires practice, but it's worth every ounce of effort.
Recently, I shared the following message on Instagram, and the response has been overwhelming.
The original video has garnered over 2 million views and 70,000 likes in the past week. Once again, I’m humbled that my simple little videos are striking such a chord with people from all walks of life. It seems that in our fast-paced, often chaotic world, the idea of mental mastery resonates deeply.
This realization has profound implications for our well-being.
Let me explain why:
1. Your Mind is Always Listening
Your mind is like a sponge, absorbing everything you say to yourself. Whether you're aware of it or not, that internal dialogue is shaping your emotional state and overall well-being.
2. Negative Self-Talk Has Real Consequences
When you criticize yourself or say negative things about yourself, your mind doesn't just record it—it internalizes it. This negativity can have a lasting impact on your emotional state and self-image.
3. Positive Self-Talk is Powerful
It might sound silly, but speaking positively to yourself—using what we call affirmations—can be transformative. When done regularly, your mind starts to believe these positive messages. They become a part of you.
4. Childhood Experiences Shape Us, But We Can Reshape Ourselves
Think about your childhood. If you received a lot of criticism or were often told "no, you can't" or "no, you won't," it likely affected you for years to come. The same is true for positive messages. As adults, we have the power to feed our minds with positive input, counteracting negative past experiences.
5. Consistency is Key
Taking time every day to say four or five positive things to yourself might seem small, but it adds up. That's 150 positive affirmations a month, or 1,800 a year! Imagine the cumulative effect of your mind hearing positive things about yourself that often.
6. It's Never Too Late to Start
Whether you're 25 or 85, you can begin this practice today. Your mind's ability to absorb and benefit from positive self-talk doesn't diminish with age.
The overwhelming response to my recent video on this topic—over 2 million views and 70,000 likes on Instagram—shows that this message resonates with people of all ages. It seems we're all hungry for ways to improve our mental well-being and find more happiness in our lives.
So, I challenge you to start today. Take a few moments each day to speak kindly to yourself. Watch how, over time, these small acts of self-compassion can lead to significant changes in your emotional well-being.
Mind Body Health & Politics is a reader-supported publication, where I share the tools to master your physical and mental well-being. To receive my weekly digest, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
I’d love to hear from you:
What positive affirmations will you start using today?
What other topics related to mental health and well-being would you like me to address in future videos?
Your input will help shape the content I create moving forward. After all, my goal is to share the life-changing tools I've accumulated over the years with as many people as possible.
Remember, good health is worth fighting for, and it's essential for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's embark on this journey of self-mastery together.
Golden Light,
Dr. Richard Louis Miller
My Books:
Freeing Sexuality: Psychologists, Consent Teachers, Polyamory Experts, and Sex Workers Speak Out
Psychedelic Wisdom: The Astonishing Rewards of Mind-Altering Substances
Psychedelic Medicine: The Healing Powers of LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, and Ayahuasca
Integral Psychedelic Therapy (co-edited with Jason A. Butler & Genesee Herzberg)
Hello Dr. Richard… I’m so glad I found the post about this on my FYP. the reason for this post of yours being so important to me is because I tested this theory unknowingly, back in 2011. In June of that year I suffered an auto immune attack on my spinal cord, and left me with a disorder called Transverse Myelitis. At the time, I was left as a paraplegic. I was told by two neurologist, that I might not walk again. And if I did, it would be very challenging most likely. I spent three months in a SCI/TBI rehabilitation hospital… Essentially preparing me for life in a wheelchair. Nearly every single night when I went to sleep at that hospital, alone, and without the use of my legs… I would repeat the following sentence anywhere from 150 to 300 times… “You will walk again“. My theory was, and the reason for doing this, was that if I could get my body and mind in sync with each other, specifically the part of my body that was paralyzed, Then I could get those signals that weren’t currently being received by the part of my spinal cord that was damaged, and controlled my legs, And they could begin to communicate again. Of course, as my body healed, the part of my spinal cord that had a lesion on it from the auto immune attack, where the signals from my brain would stop, needed to heal… And as my physical therapist explained to me… There’s a chance those nerve signals would reconnect over time, and slowly my legs would begin to work again. He described it to me, the healing process, as the root system to a plant that is obstructed by something… Preventing the roots from growing… Well, those roots will find a way to continue growing… And they will grow around the obstacle. The lesion on my spinal cord being the obstacle… I suppose I coached those nerves along with my bodies, natural healing process, into reconnecting and establishing connection once again. After saying that one sentence that many times nearly every single night… I believed I would walk again. and I feel like I convinced the rest of my body, that I would walk again. And after five months, I took my first steps again. My body believed what’s my brain and mind were telling it. There is no way for any medical professional to quantify the power of the human spirit along with the power of the human mind.
The value of being bathed in affirmative info is on display in a charming story that was a finalist in an essay contest to come up with ideas for 'saving the world': "The Empathy Chip" https://suespeaks.org/the-empathy-chip. If people felt good about themselves, they'd create the world we'd all like to be in.