30 THE THINKER THINKS AND THE PROVER PROVES
Argue for your limitations, and they’re yours.
Richard Carlson
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Think back over your life. How often have you thoughtsomething was
beyond your capabilities, so you backed off, only to realise later that
you could have succeeded if you’d tried? Can you recall what you told
yourself at the time?
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Silence the Inner Critic with encouraging, supportive but realistic self-
talk. For instance:
■ Change ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can’. If this is too big a leap, try:
■ ‘Perhaps 1 would find it difficult at present, but I can learn.’
■ ‘There must be a way. Let’s look at the alternatives.’
■ ‘I can’t (eg play the violin), but only because I’ve never tried. I’m sure
I could learn.’
■ ‘Please show me how. I’m willing to learn.’
This way you give the Prover something positive to work with and open
up a new world of possibilities.
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If you make a mistake, and everyone does, don’t chastise yourself.
Instead, learn from it and look for a better way for the future.
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