My friend came to see me one day and he was in a very disturbed state.

“I feel terrible so much of the time, I never seem to get on top of things. I’m so negative about everything.”

He was sweating.

“It’s your thoughts, probably, that are weighing you down,” I said, “What thoughts do you think about all day?”

He started wringing his hands.

“Well, when I get up in the morning, I think:

“It’s going to be another one of those days! Nothing ever goes right for me. I worry all day about EVERYTHING!”

“What if I invited you to my BBQ? Would that make you happy?”

“I’m not good with people, I freeze up in a group. I’m bad at conversation,” my friend mumbled.

“So, I can see you don’t feel good about yourself.”

“Sometimes I wish I’d never been born!”

I shook my head and said”

“My friend, you’re building a negative wall around yourself.”

“What’s this WALL business?”

“You are continually telling yourself negative things and your subconscious mind is picking it up. You are directing your subconscious to make you become the person you constantly describe, which is a negative, downbeat person.”

“So, what do I do to change?”

He looked so forlorn. I had to perk him up.

“Well buddy, you start to build a NEW WALL. A POSITIVE ONE!”

He looked at me unbelievingly.

“To change your ways, you will have to change the words of your self-talk.”

“How? What do I say?”

“I will tell you some positive self-talk to repeat to yourself constantly. If you do this, you will build a new wall. Say to yourself:

‘I will NOT worry, it is self-destructive thinking. I’m in control of my thinking and I will think only those thoughts which are positive and fulfill the best in me.”

“I choose to view my world in the bright, healthy light of optimism and self-assurance.”

“I control my thoughts. No thought can dwell in my mind without my permission.”

My friend smiled.

“I think I get it, I’ll start thinking good thoughts immediately.”

I shook his hand and said:

“Good for you and happy WALL BUILDING!”