Taking Control of the Internal Dialogue

Breaking Free From ‘Thinking Traps’

When was the last time you took a moment to pause and consider the flow of thoughts that are running through your mind? Do you ever wonder where your thoughts are coming from? Are you aware of how much your thoughts are influencing your behaviour and your wellbeing?

As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.

― Wilfred Arlan Peterson

Let’s take a moment right now to examine that little voice inside your head and see if we can understand what it’s really saying.

We all have a dialogue running through our heads. It’s as if there’s someone in our minds, constantly chattering, pronouncing judgements, making observations and giving us an uninterrupted running commentary on everything that’s happening – and it doesn’t seem to make any difference if the events are real or purely a product of our imagination.

Have you ever listened to that voice? Does it remind you of anyone? Does it sound like someone you know?

Well, to make matters a little more interesting, there’s usually more than one voice at play, running the internal commentary. The voice changes according to what it’s saying and, if you take a moment to listen, you might notice the differences that show up depending on which particular emotions are being expressed. It can be quite a surprise to realise that these differences can be detected. Did you ever notice them before?

We tend to run the internal dialogue function on a kind of automatic pilot so it’s rare that we ever stop to pay closer attention to what it’s actually saying and how it’s expressing itself.  

The real problem, however, is that we tend to rely on negative comments and suggestions and this particular bias can undermine our confidence and brainwash us into believing that we are far more limited than might be the case. In fact, a great deal of the internal dialogue is used to disempower us.

That’s why the internal dialogue is such a potentially dangerous weapon. It reinforces the kind of negative beliefs that inevitably show up in our attitudes and behaviour. It can be extremely limiting in all areas of our lives.

Never underestimate the power of thought; it is the greatest path to discovery.

― Idowu Koyenikan

So, let’s make a conscious effort right now to install a better quality of dialogue for our minds to run!

Most of us have heard about ‘affirmations’, those extremely helpful phrases or suggestions that are designed to change the way we think about ourselves. This is the perfect moment to eliminate all of our old negative words and phrases and replace them with the kind of positive language that will instill a personal sense of power and determination.

It’s very important to state whatever you want to feel, achieve or experience in positive terms. That means avoiding any use of negative language. Take away any conditional words, such as ‘should’, ‘ought’, ‘maybe’, ‘perhaps’, ‘if’, ‘might’. ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’.

Better to use strong, powerfully assertive and deeply emotive language. It’s OK. You’re free to use any expression you like because you’re the only one who’ll hear these words!

Your mission is to create a sense of empowerment within your heart and mind so, put your intentions in the present tense and learn to repeat them at least every hour.

You might be amazed at the changes you can create simply by putting the voices in your head to work - but, from now onwards, they’re going to be working for your benefit.

Everything is within your power,

and your power is within you.

― Janice Trachtman

You can take the exercise further by printing out your special phrases and posting the messages in prominent positions around your workplace. It’s another way to remind yourself of how you want to think, feel and behave. Perhaps you’d like to keep a copy in your purse or wallet as a subtle reminder to empower your thoughts and feelings.

If you found this suggestion helpful, please feel free to share the post with your friends, colleagues and family. The more we can learn to free ourselves from the constraints of stress and our conditioned limitations, the better our lives will be.

The Wellness Foundation and the Cognitive Empowerment Programs have been created to help people master their stress and discover the power of their deeper potential. Feel free to explore and share our websites. They’re here to help you make a difference. Or you can contact us directly and start a conversation today about how to experience greater happiness and fulfilment in your own life. You can reach us at :

greg.parry@thewellnessfoundation.eu