Self-Talk: 10 Stories You Tell Yourself That Hold You Back…and How To Overcome Them

Renner (Stop Thinking Like an Employee) is a life coach who offers personal, relatable stories from her own life and from some of her clients. She discusses how these stories can fossilize, become part of one’s belief system, and spur negative self-talk that stymies growth. This book serves as a guide to defeating this self-sabotage. Renner uses a candid, approachable style and provides advice on overcoming feelings of not being good enough to overcome 10 self-defeating stories. This advice includes changing limiting beliefs, building new habits, and remaining positive. The chapter on self-judgment is excellent as it recognizes that inner dialogue and self-criticism can produce many negative feelings or disagreeable interactions with others. Renner offers exercises that complement the theme of each chapter, including mindful breathing, journaling, reflection and visualization activities, goal-setting lists, and more, plus a downloadable workbook that can be obtained via QR code. The book also stresses the importance of finding a therapist or a mentor to help improve one’s self-talk.