Do you hear voices in your head? We all do; this does not mean you are crazy! Instead, we all have a variety of voices that represent many parts of ourselves. Some of these voices might include: a critical voice (“Why did I just say that?!) or an anxious voice (“I don’t think I can do this!”) or a confident voice (“I got this!”) as well as others. The voice we tune into can determine how we approach life. So which voice do you listen to? 

If you have ever meditated and truly got quiet with your thoughts, maybe you have even heard your ‘authentic’ voice. This is the voice that is the true you; the voice that when you listen to it, it is your gut, your guiding light. When we hear it and honor this voice, we can live our lives in sync with our true values. This is the goal!

Important to note that at different times we tune into different parts or voices within ourselves. Maybe when we are scared, we listen to our inner ‘mother’ (“I told you not to go there alone.”) At other times, maybe we are listening to a critical parent voice (“You’re not good enough.”)

The voice we listen to has a lot to do with how we feel in a particular moment. Too often we don’t even realize which one we are hearing and then act accordingly. Imagine if you get sick and see 5 different doctors, all of whom give you different advice. How do you know who to listen to? If you randomly listen to anyone, you may get some good results and/or maybe some not so great results. But on the other hand, if you research the best doctor for your symptoms and then consciously decide who is the best fit for you, you will likely get a better result.  It’s like spinning a Roulette wheel in Atlantic City, it could land on your choice of red or black but maybe not. Don’t you want to live your life more intentionally? When we intentionally choose which inner voice to listen to, we have more influence over our emotions and our lives. 

So how do you choose? There are often so many voices in our heads, which are often our friends and family’s opinions and judgements.  Meditation or journaling are effective ways to get in touch with YOUR voice! Meditation could be going for a walk, sitting on the beach, a yoga class, anything that you are immersed in in the moment. Whatever works for you, it is critical that we all carve out time to be with ourselves. Giving the gift of time to be WITH yourself (instead of the voice that might say “I’m all BY myself.”

So yes we all have a garden variety of voices in our head…choose wisely.