Yesterday, I told a lie.  To myself.

We all do it.  Everyday.

Here is the sad part:  the lies we tell ourselves are hurtful and limiting.  They keep us stuck and keep us feeling bad.

So why do we keep telling them?  Because they originate in some beliefs we hold, mostly about ourselves.  All we need is something to trigger the beliefs.  Some event happens and we suddenly start filling in the blanks, based on those beliefs.

Let's say you are walking down the street and see someone looking your way.  The person is laughing.  That is the event.

You may think to yourself, "Isn't that cool?  That person is having a good time and found something funny!"

Or you could say, "Why is that person laughing at me?  Is my hair looking funny?  Do my clothes look bad?"

Unless you go and ask the person why the person is laughing, you will never know which (or even another) story is right.  But the first story will leave you feeling upbeat, perhaps even looking for something humorous.  The second story will have you running to a mirror, feeling insecure, and wondering why that person is so mean.

The stories we tell impact how we feel, which impacts how we act.

Fortunately, there is a simple exercise you can do that will help you challenge your story, change your beliefs, feel differently, and have a different response.  That exercise is as easy as ABCDE.

Learn about this exercise in this week's podcast -- and let me tell you about the story I told myself this weekend!  Ouch!

Let me know what you think.  Leave a comment below!