If you tell yourself something often enough, you’re going to believe it. Whether it’s true or not, it doesn’t matter.
We have an internal dialog that is constantly telling us things about ourselves and our potential, and rehashing the conversation we had with the bank teller three Fridays back.
For some reason, the inner voice running this dialog has a default setting of being critical. “Everything you’ve ever done was a failure. Anything you try will end miserably. And by the way—did you get dressed in the dark this morning?” Wouldn’t it be great if you could flip the script and turn that inner critic into a voice that’s encouraging and supportive?
The premise of Soundtracks is that our thoughts create the background music for our lives. These soundtracks can either build us up or tear us down. The good news is, you’re the DJ. You get to pick the tracks.
First, Jon helps you identify the soundtracks that you need to change. Three simple questions to ask yourself: is it true? Is it helpful? Is it kind? If not, it’s time to retire that soundtrack and replace it with a positive soundtrack.
Building new soundtracks is the fun part. A lot of the book is spent here, which makes sense. It’s an area where a lot of us need help. We may have tried to flip the script in the past and failed. (Guess what soundtrack that leads to.) The change we need is often subtle—smaller than we think—and a new soundtrack can completely change how we see and feel about a situation. Put enough new soundtracks together, and it will change your life. (Jon calls this “a new anthem” for your life.)
If you’re not familiar with Jon Acuff, he has a very casual, friendly, and humorous tone. He’s fun and easy to read. The examples he shares had my wife and me cracking up. The problem he describes is very relatable, so the solutions he proposes must be very relatable. (That’s a soundtrack—I’ll let you decide whether it passes the true-helpful-kind test.)
If you overthink things, struggle with stepping outside of your comfort zone, or are constantly second-guessing every decision you’ve ever made, Soundtracks will help you flip the scripts that are running your life. Stop shuffling along to an old, broken soundtrack. Build yourself a new anthem that will help you live up to your full potential.
