Negative thoughts about ourselves and our capabilities are like cordial in a glass. The stronger the thought (cordial) the more yucky the taste. A glass full of cordial is not a pleasant experience at all, however if you dilute the cordial down with plenty of water (positive thoughts about yourself and your capabilities) it becomes less yucky and more palatable. As a coach, I support my clients to acknowledge how much cordial they currently have in their glass (this may change day to day) and encourage them to challenge these thoughts (dilute them) by looking for evidence to counteract them.
For example, if my glass was full of “I am useless!” cordial I have two choices I can either accept this cordial as it is and drink it, which would be yucky or I could add water in to my glass by looking for all of the evidence that says that I am not useless.
It is up to you how strong your drink is – you can make it taste good by starting to add water to that cordial today.