I heard a colleague say, “Choose your words the way you would your clothes… to feel good.” Now that it’s fall and we’re clearing out our summer clothes for what feels good to wear in the new season, let’s clear out our negative self-thoughts and only wear words that contribute to our self-esteem.

What I know is that the words we feed ourselves turn into how we feel. Years ago, I had the privilege of studying with Angeles Arrien, a cross-cultural anthropologist who told the following story: She was at a conference of shamans, and one of them was wearing a necklace with two different wolf faces. One face was snarly and biting, and the other was a sweet, cuddly face of a wolf pup. Angeles asked the shaman about the necklace and what meaning it had. This was her answer: “I wear this necklace to remind myself of the two parts of myself and the two different voices within me. One voice is angry and destructive, and the other is gentle and kind.” Angeles asked her which voice she heard most often and the shaman responded, “whichever one I feed the most.”

Continue reading this article at The Huffington Post.