You have no power over me, negative self-talk!

The little voice in my head that says, "I'm depressed," or "I want to cry," or "I hate myself" needs to be quiet! Shhh...I'm trying to concentrate. I'm trying to stay focused on positives, but this little voice has a way of sneaking up on me. The little voice has a lot to say, reminding me of every failure, every bad decision, all my regrets, and everything I long for.

I used to let this voice play continuously in my head, and it would get louder and gain more power as I slid further and further into depression. I have had to learn not to give the voice power, to ignore the voice, to quiet the voice with a louder, more powerful voice.

Now, when I find myself thinking, "I'm depressed," my first response is to tell that voice, "No, I'm NOT!" Then I remind myself of all the good things in my life, and all the positive things I have done. This, of course, is not easy. It takes practice and hard work. It takes the desire to stay in a positive state of being. It takes accepting that there are good things in my life.

Once I get my positive thoughts going, I start praying. I ask God to fill me with His Holy Spirit so there is no room for negative thoughts. If I am filled with God's goodness, there will be no space for demons.

My list of positive thoughts is longer than when I started. I used to just repeat the same few thoughts over and over, until the negativity wasn't foremost in my mind. The important thing is that you choose a positive thought to replace the negative one. Here are a few of mine, use them if you want, or write your own positive thought list, so that you are ready when the demon starts whispering.

Negative thought:                                                 Positive thought:
I hate myself!                                                        I am a loving person.
I can't do anything right!                                       I am a good writer. (insert one thing you are good at)
I just want to cry.                   Why? There is no reason. Think of something that makes me laugh      
I hate life.                              Become conscious of my surroundings, appreciate the beauty around me.

These are just examples. Choose something easy to remember and that you really feel. Then tell yourself that over and over until your mind's focus has changed.

It really works. You can make the choice to think positively about yourself or not. Negative thoughts seem to be easier for those of us that struggle with depression, but we can overcome. God will help us. Keep Your eyes on the Lord, He will lift your head and raise you up from the places of the dead.

Feel Well My Friends!