What Do You Say When You Talk to Yourself?

You have just completed a major work project before
the deadline. Having worked diligently and spending
your own time, you’re proud of the results and can’t wait
to impress your boss. You show him the project and he
immediately begins to criticize it and you. The
criticism is completely unwarranted. What do
you say to yourself? “I’ve failed again” or “He

must be having a bad day, I know I did an excel-
lent job”?

You’ve thought of an innovative idea for
a business that you really believe in. Excitedly,
you tell your spouse who finds only faults with

your idea. He tells you it’ll never work. Seek-
ing another opinion, you confide in one of your

closest friends. She has nothing positive to say
either. What do you say to yourself? “Why can’t
I ever come up with good ideas” or “I know my concept
is good, I’m going to go with it”?