Don't Replace Negative Thoughts...Challenge Them

I’m learning that we can’t just shut off our negative talk. And why should we bother? It is too hard to do and we have to constantly be considering what would be the best positive thought to use instead. Then we have to try to convince our conscious mind to accept it as a realistic truth.

Rather than replacing our negative thoughts, we can allow them to have space in our minds without resisting their existence. We can then choose to challenge their truth and validity. We can take a step back to get a new healthier perspective. We can take control over the thoughts we believe, and we can choose the story we tell ourselves and others.

I read an interesting article about subpersonalities by Aletheia Luna where she listed the following questions to help you challenge your self-talk.
You can read the full article on Loner Wolf

7 questions to help you acknowledge how your self-limiting talk may be deceiving you:

1. Are you being objective?
2. Is this always true?
3. Was this true in the past?
4. Are you looking at the big picture – or simply focusing on the details?
5. What are the objective odds of this happening? Why? Why not?
6. What is the factual evidence for this?
7. Truthfully, what’s the worst that could happen? Why is this so bad? How would you deal with this?
Other questions that I would add are:
Is this important? Right now? Has it been for me before? Will it be later?
Is this helpful? To me or others? How?
In what ways will this assist me in reaching my goals or bring me joy, happiness, peace, contentment, confidence, or to become more authentic?