By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to talk yourself into achieving success despite the challenges you’re facing.

You talkin’ to me?
You talkin’ to me!
You talkin’ to ME!!!

Robert De Niro’s famous soliloquy looking at himself in the mirror in the 1976 movie Taxi Driver always reminds me of how often we all talk to ourselves especially before a major initiative.

You choose who’s going to be talking to you: Paul or Paula Positive or Nick or Nancy Negative. That’s the leader’s role: deciding which character-Mr. or Mrs. Positive or Mr. or Mrs. Negative- he or she allows to make an entrance on the stage EACH DAY in your personal and professional life.

I’ve always liked the way James Allen captured this duality of the mind- for good or evil, for right or wrong, for positive or negative. In his book As a Man Thinketh, he paints a very visual picture of the mind and the power of man’s self talk to star in his own commanding role:

Man is made or unmade by himself
In the armory of his thought he forges
The weapons by which he destroys himself.

He also fashions the thoughts
With which he builds for himself
Heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.

Man is the master of his thought, the molder of his character
And the maker and shaper of his condition, environment and destiny.

Sear into your memory banks that concept of the mastery over your thoughts to help you stay focused no matter how rugged the road ahead or how scary the outlook. Especially when you are looking into a mirror and listening to your inner voice.

Today’s ImproveMINT
Take command over your self-talk to keep your leadership thinking in mint condition.

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