“I Am Strong, Loving, Beautiful, Inside & Out” - How You Talk To Yourself Matters...A Lot

Fifteen years ago, I did a personal development exercise when I had to identify three adjectives and three ways of being that I want to embody (how I want to be) entirely. It was also the middle of medical school interview season; I remember feeling so nervous each time I had to open an email or a letter about being offered admission.

Then, I had to do this affirmation exercise. The task was to write this statement multiple times for a series of days, look at it, and read it numerous times a day. Years later, I find myself returning to this statement every day. When I'm faced with a challenge, it's in my journal or planner: "I am a strong, loving, beautiful woman."

I reminded myself about this way of being so much that I genuinely believed it, became it, and lived it.

I got very nervous about exams and had to take plenty of them throughout medical school and residency. So while studying and sitting for my board exams, I told myself: "I am a strong, loving, beautiful woman," to remind myself that I'm mentally strong, I can power through hours of exams and not let the idea of how my career depended on it shake me.

Reflecting on this now, with neuroplasticity, I embodied this statement wholeheartedly, consistently, for years. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt throughout a person's life. Repeating positive statements to ourselves can help challenge negative self-talk or intrusive thoughts of doubt. This type of self-talk cheered me on during challenging times in my life: disappointments, heartbreaks, motherhood, and other tough life transitions.

Self-talk is not the endpoint. We still must take action to make the changes we need in our lives. Affirmations can facilitate neuronal wiring to help us grow, adapt, and heal. For some, this can catalyze our motivation and the momentum to move forward.

How do you talk to yourself? What ways of being do you want to strive for? Write it down and read it regularly. Make it visible so you can remind yourself throughout the day. Over time, you'll notice that your mind will seek and find more opportunities where you can embody and reinforce these traits. Have fun!