Three Steps to Creative Inner Talk
Inner Talk awareness doesn’t require any special equipment and it doesn’t cost anything. All that’s required is the willingness to stop and listen with more awareness to our mental chatter.
Since our old Inner Talk doesn’t represent reality, but only our past conditioning about reality, changing it to be more true, happy and effective can only be beneficial.
Another positive aspect of Inner Talk is that we can use it no matter how busy we are because it can be done in our "spare time." Inner Talk is one of the most powerful tools for emotional self-management; it is a form of active, in-the-world meditation.
Step 1. Observe your Inner Talk. Actively pay attention to your mental chatter. What is it saying? Identify any mental pictures or physical feelings that are present. If all you can find is a vague feeling, imagine what the Inner Talk behind it might be.
Key questions: "What am I listening to?" or "What am I saying to myself?"
Step 2. Evaluate your Inner Talk . Are you listening to your Anxious Chatterbox or your Inner Guide? If you find that you are tuned into your Inner Guide, congratulate yourself and enjoy it. But if you’ve been listening to your Anxious Chatterbox, go to Step 3.
Key question: "How is it making me feel?"
Step 3. Change your negative Inner Talk into creative Inner Talk. If you don’t like the effect it is having on you, change your Inner Talk. Then keep repeating your new positive Inner Talk until you feel a change. Remember, when it comes to your subconscious mind, "saying is believing."
Key question: "What would I rather be hearing right now?"
The 180o Technique
The 180o Technique simply takes the negative Inner Talk and turns it around 180 degrees. For example, Ray’s company has been downsizing and now he always has more work to do than he can manage properly. He observes his negative Inner Talk: "You’re way behind schedule. You should be able to get more done." Ray notices that this Inner Talk makes him feel anxious, lowers his self-esteem and saps his motivation. Using the 180o Technique, he quickly turns it around: "You’re right on schedule and doing fine. Enjoy your work and do your best today."
The Million Dollar Questions
Another Inner Talk-changing technique, called the Million Dollar Questions, takes a little more mental effort but it is remarkably effective and works on a deeper level. After you notice your negative Inner Talk, ask yourself the Million Dollar Questions:
"What would I rather be hearing right now?"
"What is the positive intention behind my anxious voice and how can I express that in a healthier way?"
This method is based on two concepts: (1) There is a part of us that intuitively knows the perfect Inner Talk for every situation; and (2) Even the most negative anxious voice originally had a positive intention behind it. The Million Dollar Questions can help you change your Anxious Chatterbox into an Inner Guide.
© Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety, Robert Gerzon, 1997.
Find out more about Robert Gerzon’s highly acclaimed book Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety.
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