Ten verbs help you point your brain in a positive direction and work on your self-improvement.

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” (Aristotle)

The power of thought is real: every thought transforms into a physical state.

For example: if you have to face a frightening situation such as having an interview with your boss, a few hours earlier your body starts shaking; some tremble with fear, others sweat profusely or struggle to breathe.

Likewise, when we are about to meet our loved one, we feel joyful and excited even before we see her/him, we are exploding with joy!

Unfortunately, we are never fully aware of the power of thought and, above all, we ignore that, by directing thought, we can achieve significant improvements in our lives.

More often, however, we focus on everything wrong, and we manage to attract inevitable misfortunes, almost in the form of self-prophecy. We think we will experience suffering in the future, and we are already feeling it in the present.

The first step is to be aware of everything that happens inside us and lead our thinking towards the positive. The ability to create and focus internal images is one of the most powerful learning techniques available to us. Many studies show that an image kept alive in our mind tends to be perceived as real to the body.

Mental images produce effects in the body.

The major problem is to produce images that are truly meaningful and appropriate for effective brain communication.

The mind does not distinguish between an objective experience (really lived) and a subjective experience (powerfully imagined). Bearing this essential element in mind; therefore, we can organise our thoughts positively and improve or change certain personal habits. Of course, thinking is not enough to achieve concrete positive results. If all our thinking remains desire, then we live in anxiety. We need an intermediary, which is involvement. Through involvement, ideas come down to the material level and materialise. Involvement means action, through which the image is stored as if it were a real experience.

A first action we can take is to carefully choose the words to point the brain in a positive direction.

I especially like ten verbs, and I find them very useful on my journey towards personal self-improvement. They are also mighty in children’s education. Again, in my search for information and cues to be a good mother and educator, I found the tool to improve myself in the first place.

Here are my favourite verbs:

1. Inspire: to fill with an animating, quickening, or exalting influence. We see our best version of ourselves when we are motivated and inspired. We must, therefore, feed on stories and people that inspire us to take positive action.
2. Empower: to give power or authority. The easiest way to do this is to avoid using negative words like “I can’t”, “I’m not capable” and start saying to yourself, like a mantra, “I can do it”, “I am capable”, and take action.
3. Encourage: to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence. Let’s stop criticising ourselves all the time, as, in doing so, we become increasingly insecure, and we increase our fear of failure. Let’s congratulate ourselves, even on small wins.
4. Understand: to perceive the meaning. To understand, we have to listen. So, let’s listen to ourselves, to our thoughts; and let’s try to understand what is the root of our anxieties and fears.
5. Affirm: to state or assert positively. Let’s think about what we’re good at; there’s always something! Reading, driving, painting, organising, running, writing and so on. Let’s recognise that we’re good at something and appreciate it.
6. Value: to consider with respect to worth, excellence, usefulness, or importance. Let’s learn to respect ourselves because we have value. Self-pity or humiliation is very dangerous because, above all, it exposes us to lack of respect from others. If we respect ourselves, we will lead others to do the same.
7. Engage: to occupy the attention or efforts of a person. Let us take action coherently and systematically, we must sincerely focus on what we want to achieve and devote ourselves to it without procrastinating.
8. Enjoy: to experience with joy; take pleasure in. Let’s not take ourselves too seriously and learn to have fun! Laughter is a powerful way to strengthen our body and mind. Let’s play with our children, or with our partner or friends. Let’s take some time out just for fun.
9. Coach: to give instruction or advice in the capacity of a coach. We can decide to coach ourselves, but if we are not ready yet, we can rely on a person or a book or an online program to guide us on the path of self-improvement. There are many options now, look for the one that suits us best.
10. Believe: to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something. Let’s believe in ourselves and what we are or can become. Life is not over at 40 or even at 50 or 60, etc., we can all still change and become what we want, but to do so, we must firmly believe in it.

I like these verbs very much, and I have transformed them into my daily spiritual guide, and I encourage you to live these verbs to the best of your ability to begin each day with a renewed spirit.

Print it out and display it well on the fridge or bathroom mirror; using them every day works wonders!

The good idea is to rely on some books that are a classic for self-improvement and are compelling and valuable tools for personal growth. I recommend five of them, but there are many more. Some of them are dated, but they always remain current. Why is that? Because, even if society evolves and habits change, these books continue to motivate millions of people because they are not about the outside world. These books focus on the individual; and man, with his complex but wonderful inner world, does not change. Human nature cannot change: it has been, is and will always be the same.

1. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
2. The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino
3. How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
4. The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne
5. Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter

“Our minds create the world we live in.” (Shinjo Ito)

Take action and learn more: Send Me The Free Workshops Today

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY.COM
DEVELOP GOOD HABITS.COM