Reframing Your Mindset: Ask Yourself the Right Questions
Humans have over 6,000 thoughts enter the mind every single day. Of those 6,000-- how many are we actually aware of? Or, taking it one step further, how many of those thoughts are on purpose?
The questions we ask ourselves are the key to unlocking our potential. The problem is, we fall victim to the same, low-vibe thoughts every day, without even realizing it.
“Why can’t I lose the weight?”
“Will I ever be happy?”
“What is wrong with me?”
The problem with these types of questions is that our brain, being efficient as it is, will automatically come up with an answer-- ANY answer-- to satisfy our ego. These types of questions are low quality, because they contain negative beliefs about ourselves within the question itself. When our brain goes into this automatic response mode, it computes answers to prove that the negative belief is accurate, even when it isn’t.
“You can’t lose weight because you are a fat slob.”
“You will never be happy because you are just a miserable human being.”
“You are a loser, and that is your problem.”
So what do we do? We need to choose better questions to ask ourselves! The higher the quality of the question, the higher the quality the answer will be. Change the question to contain an empowering belief, like “How can I lose weight permanently and have fun at the same time?” Your brain will come up with an answer for that as well. It may take some time to compute, but it will produce an outcome. After all, it is a powerful and efficient tool!
Even if you don’t know the answer right away, you can still rewrite the narrative. Don’t answer a question with “I don’t know, I’m confused, I can’t make a decision.” You are blocking yourself from your own wisdom. Open up your mind to the possibility of already knowing the answer. Instead, say “I’m learning, I’m figuring it out, I’m asking myself”.
Try this exercise to start asking better questions:
- What are the questions you ask yourself on a day to day basis? Write them down.
- How can you change those questions to become empowering instead of containing a negative belief?
- Pick ONE question to ask yourself every day: How can I get the housework done and have fun at the same time? What can I do to laugh a lot today? How will I make today better than it was yesterday? How can I make my future more exciting than my past? What do I love about myself? What am I grateful for? How can I honor my body today? How can I make myself a priority so that I can have more to give to others? How can I become more connected to my internal joy? How can I live my best life?
- Constantly ask yourself throughout the day, “What am I thinking?” Awareness is key.
If you want great answers, ask great questions. If you are inquisitive about yourself, you can find ways to focus your brain and tell it what to think. It’s just a piece of machinery to serve you, if you figure out how to read the instructions.