Humans are pre-programed to pay attention to language. From the moment we learn to talk, we not only listen to the sounds and syllables that are being said, but also automatically assign meaning to the words that we hear.
Sometimes our internal dialogue doesn’t match up with our valued goals, and taking these thoughts too seriously can prevent us from moving towards what matters!
Another great way to get some distance from these unhelpful thoughts is to remove the meaning from the thought. You can do this by hearing your thought in another language you do not know.
- Try this out by typing your thought into a language translator (https://translate.google.com/)
- Then listen to the computer say the thought back to you in unfamiliar language
- As you listen, pay attention to the sounds and intonations of the words
- Notice your reaction as you listen- how is it different than when you focus on the meaning of the thought?