Creating a Different Relationship with Yourself
Reflections from our final Confidence Circle session this month
This week, we held our final Confidence Circle session for May, reflecting on this month’s theme of negative self-talk.
This month was never really about getting rid of the voice in our heads.
It was about understanding it differently.
Becoming aware that the voice is there, and understanding that, to some degree, it always will be. The realisation that when you notice the voice, you disassociate from it. That’s when you realise that the voice is not you.
For so many years, many of us have automatically believed the thoughts. The ones that arise in moments of fear, stress, vulnerability, or self-doubt.
The voice sounded convincing because it was familiar.
But throughout this month, we have come to understand that the voice is something that we experience, not who we are.
Looking at what stood out
In the session, we discussed these questions:
What has stood out?
Have you noticed the voice more?
What surprised you?
Has anything shifted?
What followed was a deep discussion about how this topic had made a difference.
Most of us had experienced more negative self-talk than usual. It felt like it might be getting worse rather than better.
This is what happens when we become aware. The voice has always been there. The difference is that we now notice it more than we did.
An ongoing practice
After a while, awareness begins to transform our relationship with ourselves. We stop believing every thought that comes through.
We can pause before reacting and respond with curiosity rather than criticism.
We notice the thought rather than immediately believing it.
It’s the small moments that matter most.
