Many people have difficulties when communicating with their inner self. They tend to analyze and evaluate things in a logical manner and that is unproductive. If this is your case, you should start by adopting a small but radical change: eliminate the word “can’t” from your vocabulary. Of course, this is more of a symbol than an actual tool to “cure” your negative views, but it can become very effective. Try to stop for a moment whenever you hear yourself saying “I can’t do that” and think about it. What made you use this expression? Why didn’t you say “Yes, I can do it!”? What is the underlying reason for your denial?
Even though you won’t find answers to these questions right away, this exercise will teach you to adopt a positive attitude towards everything about you. Most of us have a rather conservative inner voice. We unconsciously try to avoid experiencing new things because we feel insecure about them. We like our old patterns and habits and are reluctant about changing them. This is a feeling that tends to get more pronounced as you get older, but we don't have to accept it as it is.
Let’s say your life long dream is to drive your own Ferrari. Looking into your past experiences or in the present you can't find any evidence supporting this ideal. The inner voice then draws the final conclusion: “it can’t be done!”. You will have a hard time putting your conscious mind against your inner voice, but in order to achieve the goal you must escape the ropes that tie you to the past and search for new alternatives. Your inner voice is probably against this: “you’re doing fine as you are now, why would you want to risk changing things?” it might say.
Even though it is a difficult endeavor, you should keep in mind that it is, after all, your inner voice. You do have control over it and you can make it work for you in reaching your goals. Through perseverance and strong will you can turn all of your negative thoughts concerning yourself into positive ones. Stop running away from your fears - they will never stop haunting you! You need to face them, so do it one by one. Tell yourself, before a difficult challenge that is waiting for you, that you will come out as a winner. Don't just say it, be convinced sincerely or skip to another challenge. A positive attitude will weigh much more in the balance than countless hours of physical or technical preparation.
