Self talk, or the voices in your head, provides a good place to begin rewiring your brain. Many of us do not like to slow down, to be in a place of quiet contemplation. This is often because all these voices get louder and we are less able to ignore them. I invite you to listen to your self-talk, get to know these voices and how they have been running your life.

When you choose to stop for a moment, listen to the thoughts that come up. Become aware of the behaviours you wish you could change. The thought might be something you were told as a child and accepted as your truth. Are you ready to challenge the statement? You might recognize old survival thoughts that no longer serve you, that keep you trapped in the old. Thoughts like “I’m so stupid”, or “I can never do anything right” are common. In an interfaith engagement setting, you might hear “If they don’t believe in…, they’re wrong”.

Old behaviour patterns often come from our early childhood attempts to soothe ourselves. When the world outside became overwhelming, food or hiding or trying to be perfect were ways we could feel better.

Feel these old thoughts and behaviours in your body. Experience the effects they have on your whole person, on who you know yourself to be.  These are available to be released and replaced with whatever you choose as the new you. It might be a more positive thought. You might choose a behaviour more consistent with your beliefs and tradition. It could be anything that you have been aching to experience in your life. Start with one thing – simple and short – where it’s easy to recognize a change happening. 

Before we learn about a practice that can shift these thoughts and behaviours, it might be helpful to understand how they got so loud, so strong. You will be creating your future self. But how did we get so stuck in these old places?

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