Negative self-talk is anything you think or say that looks at something from a pessimistic perspective rather than an optimistic one. This kind of self-talk is almost always self-defeating. It sets you up for failure; it anticipates failure; it expects failure like it’s a sure thing. When you engage in negative self-talk, consciously or unconsciously, you’re wiring your brain to fail. Having a negative outlook on life might seem like something harmless, but it isn’t. When you say it or think it, your self-talk is being recorded in your brain. And over time, your brain will create programs that guide your life, based on the messages it receives from your surroundings, and most importantly your self-talk. Can you erase the negative programs you have now? Yes, you can. Even if you have negative programs that have been wired into your brain for years, you can reverse them. Thanks to the brain's plasticity, it doesn't even take years to erase or replace them — negative programs can ...