Do you know the best way to tell a story?

Everyone has a monologue going on in their head all day long.

It’s a story they’re blissfully unaware of.

A story that they've normalized and accepted as part of their reality; not realizing they have the power to change it.

This is especially true for something as personal as your health...

"I’m an anxious person!"

"I’ve always struggled with my weight!"

"My sleep has always been awful!"

<Insert story you tell yourself here>

This is my face whenever a client tells me something like that:

"If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed." – Walter Langer

Eventually you accept this story as fact, or even part of your personality.

However, instead of being a reflection of your personality, it’s more of a reflection of your thought patterns and your environment.

That is, your diet, your sleep quality, exercise routine (or lack thereof), stress management, etc.  

Take my client Daniel, for example.

Daniel, a husband and father of two young children, is a 38 year old engineer from Australia.

He reached out to me two months ago because he’s about to start his own business.

Indeed, he knew if he didn’t get his health in check, not only would his business crash and burn, but he would too.

For years Daniel has battled crippling anxiety, brain fog and a withering kind of fatigue.

Not to mention the bone stiffness he feels every morning when he drags his body out of bed.

We’ve worked together for the past two months. In that time Daniel has lost a whopping 13 lbs and has dramatically improved his energy and focus.

But the best thing?

The crippling anxiety that dogged him for years, that made him overthink his every move, ruminate on every conversation, and stop him from moving forward in life is now gone.

There’s still small fragments of it now and then, but it’s not the domineering, overpowering force it used to be.

And here’s the funny thing:

Daniel convinced himself he was an anxious person.

Yet I knew it was more a reflection of his poor self-care routine and self-talk.

Think of your mind and body as a garden.

An untended garden is the ideal environment for weeds to grow.

Weeds like anxiety and depression.

During our regular coaching calls I have challenged Daniel on multiple occasions about his ingrained thinking patterns.

For instance, I noticed he used hesitant words in his speech.

"I’ll try to do it."

"I hope I won’t feel anxious."

These indecisive, hesitant words sow the seeds of doubt in your mind.

Instead, I encouraged him to speak in absolute terms:

"I will do this."

"I feel calm and balanced."

If possible, speaking in the present tense is always preferred – it signals to your subconscious that that’s your current state.

Your life is only as good as the narrative you tell yourself every day.

If you want to have a better quality life, tell yourself a better story.

****************************

I don’t know about you, but I believe feeling energetic, vital, joyful, and exuberant are your birthright. Understand, you have total dominion and control over your mind.

If you want to be in control of your thoughts and feelings, you must exert control of your mind.

Your feelings are a reflection of your thoughts. Your thoughts are a reflection of how well you discipline your mind.

You must discipline your mind and tame it, else it will run wild.

Right now…

Everything is connected.

Start to talk in terms of how you want to feel, rather than resigning yourself to your state.

If you feel anxious are you unwittingly creating that state with your thoughts? The same goes for mood swings and depression.

And if you want to work with me to understand what may be causing your irritability and anxiety, which can often be biological in nature, then fill this 2 min form to see if we can work together.

To your best health,

Dr Kpakpo