Here's a few tips that will whet your appetite for more, I think...
Quit waffling and downplaying your worth. Follow this plan to banish self-defeating talk and put more me-power behind your words.
1. Pick one word, phrase, or other negative speech habit to focus on at a time.
2. Spend several days noticing when, and around whom, you use it. Maybe you get rattled around salespeople or competitive coworkers. If you know who sets you off, you can prepare yourself beforehand for what you're not going to say - and what you'll say instead.
3. Share your goal with a friend or two. You may well discover that she has the same problem; then it becomes something you two can conquer together.
4. Ask one of those pals to give you a signal (say, a raised eyebrow) every time you use a self-deprecating phrase to increase your awareness of that habit and eventually short-circuit it.
5. Leave yourself some reminders of the shift in phrasing you want to make. Example: Put a Post-it on your day planner that says, "Here's my idea..." so you'll say that instead of "I'm sure this is a dumb idea, but...."
6. Record yourself (1) using the word or phrase in all its awfulness and (2) restating the same thought in the desired way. You'll train your ear and speed up the process of learning the new speech habit.
7. Remind yourself - aloud, to reinforce the message to your brain - "I want to stop saying X because I want people I meet to stop dismissing my thoughts."
8. Be patient. It takes about a month to change a behavior, so don't let slipups deter you. http://lifestyle.msn.com/mindbodyandsoul/personalgrowth/articlerb.aspx?cp-documentid=5549932>1=10519
