More excellent suggestions from Bill O’Hanlon about how to use changes in your language to help you make changes in your life.
Change ‘If ' into ‘When’
This is for something that you want to have happen in the future, but you are not sure it will happen.
If I can get out of this depression, I will be able to do more art.
Change to:
When I get out of this depression, I plan to do more art.
If I could get a book published that would be great.
Change to:
When I get a book published, that will be great.
Change ‘can’t’ into ‘not yet’
Use this one for things that seem impossible or too hard.
I can’t get a date.
Change to:
I haven’t gotten a date yet.
I can’t lose weight.
Change to:
I haven’t lost weight yet.
Move problems from internal to external
Use this one when you feel as if the problem is a part of you or you have become identified with the problem and you aren’t changing in the direction you’d like.
I’m depressed.
Change to:
Depression has been visiting me for a while.
I’m a negative person.
Change to:
Negativity speaks to me regularly and mostly I listen to what it says.
Bill O’Hanlon, M.S., Possibilities, 223 N. Guadalupe #278, Santa Fe, NM 87501 USA
800.381.2374; Fax# 505.983.2761; PossiBill@brieftherapy.com; https://www.brieftherapy.com
