Today I read Elder Devn J Cornish’s talk from October 2016 General Conference. 

My friend shared this with me yesterday and it was a true lifeline, so I reread the talk again today. I was pretty stunned to realize how much I’ve been listening to Satan’s voice without even realizing it. 

Someone gave me some feedback the other day, as well as some counsel about how I’ve been doing something. It was done appropriately and with love. But it was about an ability with which I feel inadequate. So, in spite of my knowing that I had been doing my best to follow God’s promptings in this thing, and in spite of knowing that the whole intent of the counsel was to bless,  I started questioning and second guessing all of my efforts in this area. 

It made for a long sleepless night. All night I heard a voice that sounded like my own tell me that my way of approaching these situations was not soft enough, sweet enough, cute enough, or tender enough, and that I was doing it all wrong. All the words combined in a mental tumbler in my mind that went around and around in my mind, affording me no rest or respite. I rose when the alarm went off with a slaughtering headache and a roiling stomach. 

For the whole day I could barely function. I read scriptures and could get nothing to sink in. I prayed several times, but felt they never made it past the ceiling. And then I read the quote below. I followed a prompting to write out my prayer. These things made all the difference. 

I realized that I approach things differently than others may. It doesn’t make my way better or worse. It’s just different. We need our differences. Some approaches work better in one situation or setting than another. Some methods connect with people in ways others don’t. That’s why, as Paul said, we are all different members of the same body of Christ, and all are needed. 

I heard someone say the other day that there is no such thing as negative self-talk. That when that voice in our head tells us awful things about ourselves – the kind of things we would never say to or about other people – that is NOT our own voice. That is Satan’s voice telling us lies, because discouragement is one of his best tools. When the voice of discouragement and self-doubt start chasing you. That’s a good time to cast Satan out, because it’s not your voice you are hearing, it’s the voice of the great deceiver. 

The only opinion of us that matters is what our Heavenly Father thinks of us. Please sincerely ask Him what He thinks of you. He will love and correct but never discourage us; that is Satan’s trick.” 

 https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/am-i-good-enough-will-i-make-it?lang=eng#p9