My husband and I are blessed to have five awesome grandchildren. They are involved in many different activities, including sports, clubs, and music, to name a few.
They are talented and brilliant; however, they sometimes struggle with self-confidence.
During a recent conversation, our middle grandson was upset about something that happened during a scholar bowl competition. He didn’t answer a question correctly and team blamed him for their loss. So, as you can imagine, he was not happy.
As I listened to him tell his story, I could hear the words of my coach in my head. In our coaching session, my coach and I were discussing the power of your inner voice and its impact on our choices. After listening to me explain the choice I made and why for several minutes, my coach asked if she could ask me a question.
Of course, I said yes. Her question stopped me in my tracks. So, what was the question? She asked, “Kim what if the story wasn’t true?’ She went on to explain our actions are governed by the story we believe about ourselves.
[callout]Our inner voice reinforces the story.[/callout]
Therefore, if we want to change our actions and make better choices, we must engage our inner voice. How? By talking back to your inner voice. My coach helped me to talk back to my inner voice by challenging the validity of the story.
When my grandson finished his story, he closed with the following statement, “I guess I am not that smart Grandma.” So, I asked him what my coach asked me. Over the next 20 minutes, we had a coaching session on the power of his inner voice. I offered him several examples that were counter to his story. For example, he is 1st chair for his chess club, a straight “A” student, a musician, and several other indicators of his brilliance.
At the next scholar bowl, my grandson helped his team come back from a large deficit. While they didn’t win, I reminded my grandson of the key role he played. I also told him to talk back to his voice when he started to doubt himself.
We all have an inner voice. It is constantly playing in the background of our head.
[shareable cite=”Dr. Kim Moore”]Understanding the impact of your inner voice will change how you conduct yourself and increase your level of success.[/shareable]
Next time your inner voice tells you a negative story, talk back to it and challenge its authenticity! Remember you have control of the story.
How do you respond to your inner voice?
Your friend,
Kim
Dr. Kim Moore | Your Leadership Guide | kimdmoore.com
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