What do you say when you
talk to yourself? What does your self esteem sound like? Do you monitor
your self-talk? If I were to step inside your head would I hear?
- Well done!
- Excellent!
- Great job!
Nagging Negative Nellie
Or would I find you talking yourself down with limiting self-beliefs? How do you fancy starting your day with encouraging positive statements such as:
- "Hello gorgeous!"
- "Today is going to go really well!"
- "I'm great at my job!"
- "People really appreciate what I do!"
- "I look to praise others."
Your Happiness Jar
Some clients find the idea of happiness
jar helpful. The concept? Each time you say something upbeat aloud,
drop
an object into the jar. Once you have a number of items (such as
buttons, marbles or coins) shake it! Find out what your self esteem
sounds like. Use the jingly jar to reinforce positive statements. Learn
to protect yourself from the negativity that will
undoubtedly ambush you throughout the day. Many people will try to kill
your happy
spirit. And when they do, either physically or virtually, shake your
jar!
Don't Give Them Permission To Upset You!
Your self esteem is armour and it likes
to shine. So be your own cheerleader; your own best friend. Look for
allies to bolster your self-image. Don't let
the condemnation, criticism and complaints of others silence the small
voice
in your head which is telling you that you're a winner. Do this for the
next 21 days - you'll begin to see a difference.
The backstory
In a similar way, I used to encourage my students. I asked them to be
"good finders." Looking for the good around them. They would:
- Write it down a positive statement about a classmate,
- Place this comments in the "Happiness Jar!" (sometimes called the "Star Jar,")
- Each day, we'd select three cards to read out loud.
The pupils loved the independent praise of their peers.The comments were many and varied and highlighted acts of kindness and friendship not just academic success.This simple activity developed an atmosphere of cooperation between pupils, staff and parents.
As for Business...
Check out how Derek
Williams of The Wow Awards transfers this concept and develops the idea of "spotting people
doing things really well" in organisations and companies. The outcome? More happy
and productive workplaces delivery outstanding customer service.
Just for fun:
These three links depict Ants Crabs Penguins. Decide if you identify with any of them - it's team-work with a difference. Enjoy!
Comments
Hi Eilidh! Great blog, love the happiness jar idea! Lovely to see you last night and what a great night it was! I really enjoyed it! Let me know if you know if there are any more of your boots available from your friend (to go with my jazzy tights!) See
you soon, Kind regards Helen
02-Mar-2012 08:33 AM
Helen Nurse commented on