We like familiarity, and often swerve our lives to something that resonates because we have done it before.  We are designed in a brilliant way and our brains want to do something familiar because this makes it easy for us. The ‘automatic pilot’ within us allows us to just get on with the daily tasks without using up precious mental brain power.  This is ingenious – IF the automatic habit is helpful to us.  But what about the ANTS (automatic negative thoughts – coined by Dr Daniel Amen). 

The ANTS are those stories that you continue to ruminate on about you not being capable, or not being clever enough, or not able enough.  They are the thoughts that dampen and limit all that amazing potential that you have.  They are the thoughts that keep you locked into the box that is so familiar to you that you just remain within it.  ANTS look at the problems without any airtime for the abundance of solutions.  

So, what if you were to challenge those thoughts.   Just one at a time.  As an example, you notice that you are telling yourself that you do not have real leadership skills.  BUT, what about the times when you have said NO to something because it was not the right thing to do.  What about the times when you have reached out to somebody and listened to them with a wise, caring and thoughtful response?  What about the times when you took up a new hobby or  practiced an interesting skill?  And what about just in the ways that you show up each day, demonstrating a quiet determination and grit, despite very trying circumstances?  These are all ways of leading by example.  

You might not be ‘achieving’ in ways that you deem to be important, but what if you actually woke up to the ways that you really ARE achieving with a fresh outlook as to what achieving means?  This is not about being glib and affirming yourself in a way that is just not actually true at all, but rather about looking  at the often irrational or exaggerated negative thoughts and replacing them with thoughts are are ACCURATE and with a door opened to ‘GROWING’.  

Choose to be familiar with thoughts that uplift and inspire you.  You CAN give yourself praise and acknowledgement and there will be so many worthwhile moments throughout your day when this is DESERVING.   CHOOSE to tell your life story that shows up the good things that you have done.  NOTICE the things that you have done, or the way that you show up, affirming the accomplishments in that.  Make it a great habit to allowing you  ‘to be you’ and celebrating that!  The evidence is there that you are capable, able, needed, and that you have all that it takes to keep growing your potential.

Look for the good – there is EVIDENCE pointing towards it!