All I need to make it work is within me now!

The topic of this post is actually something that Tony Robbins (Big Motivational guy) suggests to tell yourself as part of your exercise routine. The way it starts off is you do breathing exercises (4 inhales and then 4 exhales) for several minutes then think about everything and everybody in your life you are greatful for for another several minutes then imagine your goals as if you already accomplished them and then after to say incantations like the one in the topic and "everyday and every way I feel stronger and stronger"

I've started to use this while doing other activities as I noticed that alot of the things I say to myself in my head are very discouraging and demotivating. What I have found is that the activties I don't like, I don't like them because of this very thinking! The thinking itself reduces access to the brains resources in order to do these things well and in order to enjoy them as well. Worry and thoughts of I can't are self fulfilling and it makes us focus on everything that we didn't do. It makes it very diffcult to see what we've accomplished and thus we might feel like crap even if what we did was successful.

I have found saying "all I need to make it work is within me now", has made me do well in what i'm doing, its made it more enjoyable (even tasks that are less then desireable) and I think possibility thoughts and I feel good about myself as a person as opposed to the discouraging thoughts which make me feel like crap, inferior and worthless.

There have been many times in hip-hop class where I was struggling and then I kept telling myself "I can't" and got really frustrated and then felt bad about who I was. Fun activities shouldn't take away your feelings of worthiness. Since I started to use the new statement I feel good no matter how well I do as long as I'm doing. I mean I feel really amazing after hip-hop now that i'm not spending that time fighting myself, its such a huge relief.

 This next part I actually posted in a thread on www.stresscenter.com and it got some good response so I'll post it here too.

Think back to a time when you really really enjoyed yourself while doing a particular activity (maybe your favorate hobby). Think about a time when you really felt those deep positive feelings now ask yourself...what was it that I was telling myself?
Was I saying I can't do it, or was I encouraging myself?
WAs I looking at the things I have to do or was I looking at the benefits?
What would happen if I started to believe that I coudln't do it?
Would it steal me away from the excitement or create more?
Would I be as effective or less effective? Would I be more inclined to do the task again in the future or less inclined?
Would it make me feel more hopeful or less hopeful?

Now lets take something you particularly don't like and add the same elements that made you enjoy your favorate hobby.
If you told yourself the same things while doing the unfavorable chore then;
Would you potentially create more positive feelings or less?
Would it be easier to handle or less?
Would it be more draining or less draining?
Could you potentially do a better job and thus get a better outcome or a worse job and worse outcome?
What would it do to your life if you actually thought the same feelings you do with your favorate hobby, with your chores?
How would it affect your overall mood?
How would it affect your relationships?
How would it affect your energy level?
How would it affect you financially? Would you have a higher opportunity for more clients or promotion?
How would it affect your possibility of being hired at a job?
How would it affect your appearance?
How would it affect your stress level?


Ok so now I have an activity I'd like you to do. Well only the people who want to overcome the anxiety and depression and not have it control their every waking moment.

Pick 2 activities you like and 2 activities you don't like (but make them simple activities)
Now do the fun activities with those positive and encouraging thoughts and see how you feel. Try doing them with negative defeating thoughts. Now do the same with the ones you don't like and post your experiences here on the forums. Post if you felt more positive or less but be aware of the black or white thinking. Use percentages. Did you end up feeling 20% more positive or 20% more negative. I'm really intrested to see how people respond. Don't worry about believing the thoughts at a gut level. Just say them to yourself as if you were reading them.

Mike