Telling Yourself the Truth

Im 46 years old. I first read this book at 22 when I was asked to by a therapist. One night late while reading something clicked and I realized that my whole problem was negative self talk! I worked everyday replacing my negative self talk with truth. Each day I refused to accept the lies Id always told myself. It changed everything!

To improve the quality of your life improve your thought life. The truth sets you free from depression, guilty, confusion, and anxiety. This book shows you how to replace self-defeating thoughts with healthy thoughts that build you up. It is based on principles from the Bible.We're told early in the book, "you'll believe what you tell yourself" (p. 18). Consequently it is important not to be decieved. Self-deception can hold a person back from living the abundant life Jesus sacrificed to give us.In laying the background for the rest of the book, he tells us on page 21:"In emotional and mental health, what you believe is all important. It makes a difference what you believe. Other people, circumstances, events and material things are not what make you happy. What you believe about these things is what makes you happy or unhappy."Actions grow out of beliefs. You will behave, based on what you believe. In fact, the chemicals in the physcial brain are affected by the thoughts one thinks.Chapter 3 does a masterful job of explaining how negative thoughts are deceptive. In the chapter's summary, he writes, "Remember, any thoughts that reflect hopelessness, desperation, hate, fear, bitterness, jealousy, or envy are the words and thoughts generated by demonic falsehood" (p. 35).Chapter 5 contains a nugget on effective prayer, "Instead of praying the problem, pray the answer" (p. 61).The book takes a negativity and exaimes how it is a deception. For example, anger or fear. As a person realizes the truth, the negative is replaced with the positive.Read this book and grow healthy mentally.

Backus' book is an excellent read for knowing how to properly handle our thoughts and reactions to others.Among the points Backus covers include:1. We do not have to strive for the approval of others.2. When beliefs change, behavior will change.3. Truths about anger and pleasing others.4. We are not victims, we can make choices!5. Be careful of manipulation.6. Misbeliefs and truths about being indispensible.7. Truths about taking chances.8. Unlearning old thinking.Bakcus accurately states that much of what happens to us results from the way we think.Read and be encouraged to change your inappropriate thoughts!

Probably one of the best self-help books you could possibly read. This was recommended to me by a friend to help me deal with a relationship, and it has gone far beyond that. Not only can I deal with my relationship now, I can deal with all aspects of life. I have a choice in how, with the Lord's help, I deal with EVERYTHINIG. I can choose to be angry or not. I can choose to be sad or not. Please, go buy this book!!

I chose this book for a Ladie's Bible Study at our church because we had really lost a lot of energy and excitement in our Tuesday morning studies. The truth in this book has truly set many of our ladies free to honestly face what's in their lives and to still believe that God is in control. They are beginning to have the courage to face circumstances & people and realize that their value doesn't come from those things. William Backus and Marie Chapian have laid out a plan of action - identifying misbeliefs in your life, arguing against them and replacing them with the truth - that has breathed new life back into many ladies at our church. I haven't even been able to keep enough of them in stock because they have been giving them to their friends and family! The results have been tremendous - they are learning how to deal with real issues like intimidation, low self-esteem and wrong expectations and they are learning that God is FOR them!