Debunking Inner Voice Myths

Learning is a pleasurable experience, on which I put a great amount of value. Recently I spent a day at a conference, well-known speakers, about self-development. Apart for the usual “ra-ra-buy-my-products” sales talk in between, it was a good conference, with much learning on offer. However, one thing did stand out as peculiar - How WRONG people are about self-talk!

Big name speakers’ focused and famous for self-development tripped, stumbled and thumbs-sucked their way through the subject of the inner voice. Self-Talk, Voice(s) inside your head, Mind Murmurs, Mind Mutter (My personal favourite) – call it what you will – Is a simple, straight forward and dynamic part of our mental make-up that can be harnessed to heighten our success as individuals.

For years, personal development teachers have told us to ignore, shout down at, bully, sabotage and silence the inner voice. In all honesty, I have never met a single person that can out talk, our smart or out patience the inner mind mutter. It can’t be done! It just cannot be done. Folks! It is time for a 180 degree turn around in thinking about Mind Mutter!

This article serves to debunk some myths and establish some fundamental truths about Mind Mutter. I would like to put it out there and allow people access to the truth about a powerful and beneficial inner mechanism to help us achieve and live the life we desire. Let’s look at some of the basic truths around Mind Mutter:

Basic Truth 1: Mind Mutter is our voice. It comes from us, our own minds, our own understanding. To clash or fight against Mind Mutter would divide the house against itself, and we all know what that will bring. Mind Mutter is NOT THE ENEMY. Mind Mutter is A FRIEND, and needs to be harnessed and embraced. Current observations and studies I am conducting indicate that conflict with Mind Mutter results in a false sense of pride and achievement, lulling people into an arrogant space they call success. It will be short lived.
 

Basic Truth 2: Silencing Mind Mutter other than through negotiation is IMPOSSIBLE! You can shout your personal affirmations as loud as you like to drown out the nagging negative voices in your head. They will just wait till you are tired, stressed and worn out. Mind Mutter can be a still small voice that chips away at your pseudo-armour. There is only one way to get the Mind Mutter to stem the tide of insults – through negotiation.

Basic Truth 3: When you tell people to go with gut instinct – you are in fact telling them to go with their Mind Mutter! HELLO! You cannot separate the two concepts. They are part of the same system. As in Basic Truth 1 – a house divided against its self will cause the house to fall.

Basic Truth 4: Mind Mutter is you! Really!  Mind Mutter is the collective voice of all the beliefs that you hold as true. Mind Mutter guides you according to the beliefs that YOU hold as true. Telling Mind Mutter to shut up is telling your own life experiences, gut instinct – to shut up.

Basic Truth 5: Mind Mutter has your best interests at heart! Yes, REALLY! As in Basic Truth 1; Mind Mutter is your friend. It doesn’t want to see you hurt, doesn’t want you to come second, want the best for you! Mind Mutter is a devilish advocate though, and will say what it has to in order to get you to cooperate. This is where the confusion about the intent of Mind Mutter sets in. That derogatory voice can sound like a care-giver that moaned and complained, or a nasty teacher that broke you down. The truth is -

Basic Truth 6: Mind Mutter will do and say whatever it takes to get you to cooperate. Really! Mind Mutter will sabotage your efforts, will strike you with fear, and make you fumble the ball – WHATEVER IT TAKES FOR YOU TO COOPERATE. This can be harsh and extreme at times. But, if you consider that Mind Mutter has your best interests at heart, you will take the time to uncover the intension behind the objections raised by Mind Mutter.

In my lectures and counselling sessions, I teach people to cooperate with Mind Mutter. Engaging with Mind Mutter helps uncover deep rooted beliefs that evoke fear, past experiences that destabilize self-worth and personal value.

Recently a lady sitting in my office wanted to quit smoking. We discussed the value of smoking for her and she discovered that smoking gave her time and space for herself. Just to sit and reflect, to gather her wits and refocus her mind. She decided she didn’t need to smoke in order to do those things. We talked through an exercise for her to regain her personal “me time” without having to use cigarettes as an excuse My only input was that when she felt the need or cravings to smoke, that was in fact the Mind Mutter telling her that it was time to exercise her “own space, own time”. Every time the cravings prompted her, she did the exercise to enter the “me time”. Weeks later, and after much personal stress she is a non-smoker, handling the issues in her life with calm and confidence and in cooperation with her personal Mind Mutter.

What information we have had up to now about the inner voice hasn’t worked, so maybe it is time to re-think Mind Mutter. I know embracing the Mind Mutter is 180 degree turn around in the thinking about the inner voice. That is what I want to encourage. Embracing Mind Mutter is the message I want to share. My personal experience has been that I achieve greater calm, with mental and emotional stability, when I embrace Mind Mutter and use the prompts and cues set by the internal system that has my best interests at heart. Isn’t it time you did the same?

I am currently writing a book: MIND MUTTER MATTERS – Harnessing the great power of the Inner Voice. Would you like to pre-order a copy of the book?  Please click here and fill in the form. PRE-SALES ORDER FORM FOR MIND MUTTER MATTERS.  You will then be notified once the book is launched.