The Power of Believing in Yourself

Giving yourself permission to believe in yourself, your goals and your abilities can change your life. Getting out of your own way by letting go of negative thinking patterns is empowering. It is common for individuals with a trauma history, addiction history and those who were raised in families where they were abandoned and neglected to have negative thinking patterns as their set point. This set point can affect individuals self-worth, their ability to have successful relationships, positive self-image, and the ability to set goals and achieve them.

According to Louise Hay, "you are the only person who thinks in your mind. You are the power and the authority in your world." This is a wonderful and affirming statement. Restructuring your thinking can be as simple as thinking, saying or writing out positive beliefs about yourself. This allows you to be in the present moment with your positive attributes. Reading your affirmations again allows you to own the truth about these positive attributes.

Noticing when your inner critic or negative thinking is in charge is also an important aspect of creating change. Being able to connect the triggers for negative thinking at the moment can be very helpful in shifting your thought patterns. Giving yourself permission to be curious about your thinking patterns and the effect on how you feel is important. Our thoughts do impact how we feel.

Happier thoughts lead to happier biochemistry. We feel better when we are having positive thoughts. Having some reminders around your home or office can be useful to recreate a new positive thinking set point. An easy intervention is to write out 5 positive affirmations weekly or daily and to think about them throughout the day. This trains your brain to come back to the positive thinking and away from the negative thinking patterns. Thinking positively about yourself is also a form of self-care.

Anne Grisham-Pleas LMHC, CDP, MAC I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Chemical Dependency Professional in private practice in Seattle. I earned my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and my Certificate in Addiction Studies from Seattle University in 1991. I earned my Master’s Degree in Counseling from Seattle University in 1998. I am a Nationally Certified Master Addiction Counselor. I am also an EMDR therapist. I have worked in private practice, chemical dependency and mental health agencies for 27 years.