Self-Talk
“Talking
to oneself is a recognized means to learn; in fact, self-speak may be
the seed concept behind human consciousness. Private conversation
with ourselves might represent the preeminent means to provoke the
speaker into thinking, modifying behavior, and perhaps even amending
the functionality architecture of the plastic human brain. Writing
out our private talks with oneself enables a person to 'see' what
they think, a process that invites reflection, ongoing thoughtful
discourse with the self, and refinement of our thinking patterns...”
Kilroy J.
Oldster (Dead Toad Scrolls)
Do you talk to yourself?
Is there a dual conversation going inside your head most of the time?
Do you—the conscious listener—ever tune in? Sometimes our
self-talk is just a distraction because it is a critical voice
telling us what a stupid schmuck we are; but sometimes, it's a guide.
Sometimes, it's the brain at work on problem solving. I find that the
self-talk (internal jabber) increases when activities in my outer life speed up. When
I have too many things going on, and am trying to do too much, my thoughts get scrambled, and my actions follow.
Perhaps you've seen
this pattern in yourself: You think a thought, and that thought tells
you to go and get something you left in the bedroom (or the office, etc), so you walk to
the bedroom, but when you get there, you've forgotten what you came
to get. Your inner voice is asking, “Now, what did I come in here
for?” That happens because between one end of the house and the other,
you've entertained five other random thoughts, and in that process,
the first thought dropped into the black hole of obscurity in your
brain. At least, that's my pattern. Often, I have to go back to
whatever I was doing in the first place, and jog my memory of what I
needed.
It's a common symptom,
and while it may get worse with age, age is not the cause of it.
Having too many balls in the air is. I find that making a list, and
checking it off, is helpful. Sometimes, when one's brain is wrangling
in a two- or three-way internal dialogue, it is also helpful to write
down pros and cons, or simply, to write what is being spoken
internally, so that it becomes external. Writing activates two
sensory modes, visual and kinesthetic, and two inputs are better than
one when it comes to sorting and learning. It also helps because you
have to stop the frenzied behavior, and sit down to write. We all get
into warp-2 hyperspace at times.
In terms of serenity, it
is a good idea to monitor self-talk, and stop the destructive voice
that criticizes. Affirmation helps. Using affirmative words to
purposely input a positive message will sometimes shut down that
“stupid schmuck” nonsense. Here is, according to the Science of
Mind Magazine (March, 2017), who you really are: “The truth
about you is that you are a center of God-consciousness. You are part
of the wholeness of Infinite Life. You are a spark of the Divine, a
radiance of Universal Intelligence, an emanation of the One Mind. You
are an incarnation of Spirit...” Now, don't you feel better
already?
In the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment