My inspiring NIA teacher asked this during our class this morning.
What a great question.
She was referring to the sound of the mesmerizing band that plays during our class.
What a great question, I thought, thinking of my thoughts.
Can you nudge against the sound of your own thoughts?
Can you get a little closer and really hear what you tell yourself?

“I’m stressed and overeating because my son can’t cope at university”
“My husband is the cause of my overeating”
“I don’t have enough time”
“My daughter is driving me crazy”
“I’m a wreck”
“I’m out of control”
My clients think these thoughts all day every day.
This is a sample from just one group coaching session.
I feel exhausted and drained just typing them.
My fingers literally feel heavy.

We don’t even notice this constant chatter.
We are so used to the internal whipping.
On Monday I asked them to say these thoughts to a picture of themselves as a small child.  Not one of them could do it.
Yet we talk to ourselves this way all day every day.

Can you nudge in and listen?
Your freedom depends on it.
Those treacherous thoughts?
They’re the cause of your overeating, overspending, oversleeping, over-anything.

Can you nudge in long enough to take notice?
Your freedom depends on it.
Grab them.
Bring them to your consciousness.
You can change the thoughts.
It will change how you feel.
Then you will change how you behave.
And your life’s results will be different.
This is what coaching is all about.

I will support you as you nudge against the thoughts.
I’ll be with you as you pull them out of the darkness.
I won’t be afraid as you feel the feelings.
I’ll breathe with you as you find the replacement  thought that brings you peace.
How will we know it? It’s a thought you totally believe.
And it makes you feel better.
We’ll both hear you sigh with relief and see your body relax and smile.
You’ll lose weight without noticing.

And you won’t need me anymore.
You’ll enjoy nudging against your calming, joyful thoughts.

At the end of the group, my clients believed that:
“My son’s studies are his business”
“My husband is a good man”
“I have the exact amount of time I need”
“That’s just my daughter being my daughter”
“Maybe I’m okay just as I am”
“I am learning that I choose to be in or out of control”

Better thoughts to nudge against for sure.
Not free and clear yet.
But better.
And a thought that is just a bit better to nudge against feels a lot better to feel.