365 STEPS TO SELF-CONFIDENCE
Listen carefully to your self-talk and become aware of censorious
questions such as:■ ‘What did I do (or say) that for, idiot?’
■ ‘What’s the use?’
■ ‘Why am I so stupid?’
■ ‘Why does this always happen to me?’
■ ‘Why does everyone hate me?’Questions such as these are based on the supposition that you are an
idiot, or you have screwed up (again). The Prover is not programmed to
challenge the basis of a question; it responds as if it were true. For
example, if you ask yourself ‘Why am I so stupid?’ the Prover finds a
multitude of reasons why you are stupid even though you’re not. That’s
what it’s designed to do.
Instead, cancel the question using Thought Stopping, and give your
subconscious something positive to work on, eg:■ ‘What can I learn from this?’
■ ‘What can I do nowto feel more confident?’
■ ‘How would a confident person handle this situation?’
■ ‘How can I improve?’When problems arise, focus your mind on finding solutions by asking
yourself the right questions:■ ‘What can I do to solve this problem?’
■ ‘How can I turn it to my advantage?’
■ ‘What more do I need to know?’These compel the Prover to work forrather than against you.207