It’s All In Your Head

Who are the voices in your head? Have you ever taken time to identify them? Do you even hear them?

Maybe “voices” is not the exact description. I am referring to the thoughts or discussions that we all have in our heads. The ones that point out our mistakes, speak to us disparagingly, judge our choices. 

Recently I tried an experiment that had me identify why I thought what I thought. It came about as I was driving and became aware that my foot was on the accelerator canted to the right rather than directly straight. I immediately changed the position and then played the entire explanation and correction from Chip my kinesiology trainer. While listening to my internal replay system, I also corrected my posture and pulled my shoulder blades back making sure that they glided back  separately, and I did not just throw my shoulders back. It made me smile after the appropriate chastisement that went with my sloth. To give it better frame of reference, I have not worked with Chip in over four years.

I then began to think of the myriads of observations, corrections, considerations and judgements that flow through my mind daily. It is a river of thoughts that beats the Nile by a mile. So, I spent a day asking myself why I just thought what I thought or spoke to myself in that manner. It was fascinating to put a person, situation or experience to each one. It makes you realize that we are all an amalgamation of other people’s input, indoctrination and fears.

We carry around beliefs for which we would willing fight that in reality have not very much to do with us. We just had it drilled into us in some way and now mindlessly go about living with them as if they were reality.  Conversely, some of them we hear and resist because we know from whence they came and we are positive we are not going to live as that person or institution told us was best. Yet, the thought or correction comes unbidden into our mind, and we again must make a conscious decision about our unconscious streaming service.

It is a fascinating (I would say fun, but then I am a bit different) exercise to attempt. Give it a shot sometime in the not too distant future. It is good to know who you are allowing to hitchhike along. Be careful, because they can also highjack you.

Or to quote Carlos Acutis, the millennial saint the Catholic church is canonizing this month,

                Everyone is born original, but most end up dying as photocopies.

Happy thinking.