47- Self-Talk

The Thinker's Apprentice

This episode is all about self-talk and mainly negative self-talk. It's a topic that is very important and personal to me and I think the listeners will find great value in this episode.

• We start by defining self-talk as that voice in our heads that constantly talks to us. For some of us this voice can be very negative and even downright abusive. This voice has a major influence on how we experience our lives.
• And while this is something so many of us deal with, nobody ever talks about it, we never learn about it, and we mostly pretend it isn't a problem. But for many of us it's a big problem.
• We talk about the difference between us and that voice. We are not that voice, though most of us think we are.
• Then I tell you the truth: that voice is a liar and it lies to you all day long. But once you believe the lies they become the truth. And when this happens we reset ourselves.
• I discuss why the mind lies to us when it should have our best interests at heart. And I define that voice for what it is: our voice of knowledge, and that knowledge is contaminated by lies.
• We talk about where the self-rejection leads us and it's not a place you want to be.
• But we all have the power to change our self-talk
• We do this by challenging the voice of knowledge and catching it in its lies and proving it to be a liar.
• Then I reference the fact that we've known about this liar inside our heads for thousands of years. The Christian faith knew it, the Toltecs knew it, The Buddhists knew it, the Stoics knew it, and modern psychology knows it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is rooted in this concept.
• Then we get into how to change the voice inside our heads, how to rewrite our story. It's a simple process, but it takes time and is easier said than done.
• And for this week's Call-to-Action we have 2 assignments. First, we start to challenge the voice in our head, we catch it red-handed and prove to ourselves that it is indeed a liar. And once we understand this the process becomes so much easier.
• The second part of this week's assignment is to talk about this, to raise awareness. If you are depressed or know someone that's depressed then I encourage you to reach out. There's too much shame and stigma around mental health issues and people are reluctant to admit to having problems and seeking help. We need to eliminate the stigmas and start having meaningful dialogue about this. 45,000 people in America commit suicide every year and the rate of child and teen suicide is the highest it's ever been in history. Aren't we living in the best times? Isn't this the best it's ever been? How is this possible. It's time for action and it's time for change. And that starts with all of us.
• Thanks for listening. Be sure to subscribe and leave a review and share it with someone who could benefit from this information. And be sure to follow me on Instagram @ThinkersApprentice

References:

The Voice of Knowledge, by don Miguel Ruiz

The Coddling of the American Mind, by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff