Kwik Brain Episode 30: End Negative Self-Talk (Like Magic) with Jim Kwik

Welcome to Quick Brain, bite-sized brain hacks for busy people who want to learn faster and achieve more. I'm your coach, Jim Kwik. Free your mind. Let's imagine if we could access 100% of our brain's capacity. I wasn't high, wasn't wired, just clear. I knew what I needed to do and how to do it. I know kung fu. Show me. Welcome back, Quick Brains. So How do you end negative self-talk? Let's begin by saying that the goal is not to stop it completely. A little self-criticism can be a good thing, give you a reality check that motivates you to be a better person. But there is a big difference between, I need to read more, and saying things like, I am not that smart. I am not good enough. I have a horrible memory. So studies show that negative self-talk is associated with everything from higher levels of stress to depression. So what do you do with your negative self-talk? In this episode, I'm going to give you my Kwik Brain Hack, 4 simple steps to dramatically reduce negative self-talk that holds you back. First, here's 2 things you do not want to do. You don't fight them and you don't fight for them. What do I mean about don't fight them? What I mean by that is don't try to resist doing these things because as you know, What you resist persists. If I ask you not to think of a big purple giraffe, don't think of a big purple giraffe, don't think of a big purple giraffe, what do you do? You see that big purple giraffe in front of you, right? So don't resist it, don't fight them. And the other thing is, don't fight for them. Don't fight for them. A lot of people, they're always fighting for their limitations. They're talking about how they can't remember things, they can't remember names, they're so overloaded, they can't keep up. And here's the thing, if you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them. If you argue for your limits, you get to keep them. I remember years ago I was preparing to run a marathon, and with a name like Kwik, you know, you had to be a runner growing up back in school and such. And I remember there was one chapter in this book, and it was the psychology of running a marathon, and that's what I was really interested in. And I remember getting to this point where it started out verbatim, it said, because I'm a memory expert, word for word, it said, Your brain is like a supercomputer, and your self-talk is the program it will run. So if you tell yourself you are not good at remembering names, you will not remember the name of the next person you meet because you program your supercomputer not to. So how do you stop beating yourself up and replace this negative self-talk? You could do so using the magical words abracadabra. Abracadabra. You know, the word abracadabra is derived from an Aramaic phrase that means, I create as I speak. In the Hebrew language, this phrase translates into, it came to pass as it was spoken. You know, words indeed have power. As a memory aid, I want you to remember the first 4 letters, A-B-R-A. A-B-R-A. The A stands for acknowledge. Acknowledge that it's there. Don't resist it. Remember, what you resist persists. The B in ABRA stands for breathe. Breathe. Take a breath now. Control breathing not only keeps your mind and your body functioning at their best, it could also lower your blood pressure, promote feelings of calm and relaxation, and help us to be able to de-stress. Breathe in what you want. And then the third step is the R is release. Release what you do not want. You can't lead a positive life with a negative mind. So you want to, as you exhale, exhale that breath out and let go of the limitations. Let go of the hurt. Let go of the helplessness. And finally, the last A is align. Align. Use your imagination and create a new phrase or a new belief That is more aligned with really who you are and what you really want. It might be something like, I have a great memory. I learn things quickly and easily. My focus is my gift. I really do have a quick brain. The magic trick is to go beyond just saying it. You really want to experience it. You want to go in and see it, step into this new belief and see how it really feels. So again, When you want to replace the negative self-talk that holds you back, remember ABRA: acknowledge, breathe, release, and align to what you really want. Do this and you will unleash the magic of your Kwik Brain. Want to double your brain speed and memory power? If you'd like to learn rapidly and get ahead faster, I'd like to give you my brand new Kwik Brain Accelerator program. You will discover exactly what I teach my clients to learn, read, and remember anything in half the time. There is no charge. It's my gift to you for being one of our subscribers. That's kwikbrain.com. Or simply text the word podcast to 916-822-7246 and we'll send you a direct link. That's 916-822-7246. 82 brain. Growing up struggling with learning challenges from a childhood brain injury, it's been my life's mission to help you have your very best brain so you could win more every single day. Now, want more quick brain? Here are four ways to fast-track your results and lock in what you just learned into your long-term memory. Remember fast. F A S T. The F stands for Facebook. You're not alone on this journey. I invite you to join our free. There you can connect with me, your fellow brain lovers, links to resources, and even submit your questions for me to answer in future episodes. Go to kwikbrain.com. That's K-W-I-K brain.com. The A stands for apply. Act on what you learned today. Remember, knowledge is not power, it's potential power. It only becomes power when you use it. So use what you just learned. And the last letter is the letter Z. The S stands for subscribe. Don't miss the next episode and other free brain training. And finally, the T stands for teach. You want to learn faster now? The key is to lock it in right away by teaching it to someone else. When you teach something, you get to learn it twice. Here's a simple way to do that. Leave a review on iTunes. Leave a review with your biggest takeaway from this episode. You could also post and share this podcast on your social media. It helps us spread our mission of building better, brighter brains. And of course, tag us so our team can properly thank you. #KwikBrain, K-W-I-K Brain. Mine is @JimKwik, K-W-I-K, on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. So what does FAST stand for? Facebook, apply, subscribe, teach. I'll see you in our next episode of Kwik Brain. Until then, remember, You are faster and smarter than you think.