You have conversations with yourself all the time. Conversations in your head that no one else can hear. These voices in your head weren’t there to begin with. They aren’t who you really are. They can be added and subtracted from the conversation.
How do I know this? What data do I have to prove this to be true? A few weeks ago someone was relating a story to me and said the turning point for their decision was when “I could hear your voice in my head saying…”. It is a little unsettling to think that my voice is being heard in someone’s internal conversation, but similar things happen to all of us! I read poetry in the voice of a dear friend. When I tell my Internal Critic to “Shut Up!” it is in the voice of the most powerful person I know. The point is that the different voices in your head, the ones making up the conversations you have with yourself, were added as you developed through life. They are still being added. And most importantly THEY AREN’T YOURS!
We have a tendency to believe the different sides of these internal conversations are who we truly are. This isn’t so. Your mother’s voice in your head saying to put a coat on before you go outside is her belief system. Your grade school art teacher, who determined for you that you don’t have the skill to be creative, is not yours – but it whispers in your ear. Our parents, a coach, a teacher, a sibling, a minister, a partner or co-worker – anyone can be the source of one of these voices (both helpful and harmful). We use the voices of our heroes to inspire us!
If these voices can be added, they can also be taken away. In the end you get to control what parts of the conversation to listen to. The real power is in choosing. Take some time this week to listen to the voices in your head and start to choose which ones to listen to. – www.rhoadscoaching.com
finding meaning and purpose in daily life