Change Your Words, Change Your Life
Stoic Reflection on how the stories we tell ourselves and others shape the reality we live in.
"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." — Marcus Aurelius
This is part of the Stoic Reflection series. You can browse all reflections here
Listen to yourself for a moment.
Not to the words coming out of your mouth, but to the constant chatter running through your head.
"I'm terrible at this."
"They probably think I'm stupid."
"I always mess things up."
"Nothing ever works out for me."
"I'm not good enough."
These are the scripts that write your reality.
The stories that become your truth.
The words that shape who you become.
Every day, you speak thousands of words to yourself.
Most people pay more attention to what they say to others than what they say to themselves.
That's backwards.
Your internal dialogue is the most powerful force in your life.
It determines how you interpret events, how you respond to challenges, and ultimately, who you become.
Say you make a mistake at work.
The event itself is neutral. A thing that happened.
But immediately, your internal narrator springs into action:
Version A: "I'm such an idiot. I always screw things up. They're going to fire me. I'm not cut out for this job."
Version B: "I made an error. That's human. What can I learn from this? How can I fix it and prevent it next time?"
Same event. Two completely different stories. Two completely different emotional experiences. Two completely different outcomes.
The first version creates anxiety, shame, and paralysis. The second creates learning, growth, and action.
Which narrator are you listening to?