How to Eliminate Mocking Voices and Find Your True Inner Voice
The first voice you hear in your head sounds like you, but it’s probably someone else. Don’t trust it.
Mockingbird:
There’s a Northern Mockingbird in a nearby tree singing his heart out as I type this post. He’s extremely intelligent.
He learns songs all his life. He even mimics animals and insects.
We love it when he stops in. But he doesn’t have his own voice.
The voice in your head may be a mocking-voice from your past.
Inner cadre:
Your inner voice is a cadre of voices from the past.
- Teachers.
- Coaches.
- Siblings.
- Parents.
- Grandparents.
- Close friends.
- Respected authority figures.
- Broken relationships.
- Failures. Past failures love to mimic your own voice. But you aren’t your failures.
- Successes.
Inner liar:
You tell yourself you’re awesome, but you haven’t earned it. Someone helped you accept mediocrity by coddling you.
Today, you expect something for nothing because you “deserve” it.
Inner critic:
Your inner critic is the voice of an angry parent, teacher, or family member. Remember how they put you down? Now, you do the same to yourself.
Inner protector:
You don’t try new things because you were protected. Mom or dad didn’t let you stumble. They rushed in to keep you from skinning your knee.
True inner voice:
Occasionally you hear your true inner voice. But most of the time you’re reacting or responding to intruders.
Eliminate outsiders if you’d like to find your true inner voice. Interrogate your inner voice.
- Who are you?
- What do you really want for me?
- What happens if I listen you?
If you listen closely you might hear your true inner voice whispering.
The last voice you hear will be yours. It will be aspirational. The way to find your true inner voice is to silence the others.
How are you finding your inner voice?
Your saboteur’s voice lives in your ego. Its intentions are good: to protect you from failure, humiliation, risk, the bumpy road to growth. This voice is scared. Get in touch with the voice of your higher self, your inner teacher, your essence, your soul. This voice is sacred. (Notice how changing the order of a simple “c” and an “a” changes everything!) Then reassure your saboteur that you have heard his or her voice, you understand s/he wants you to be safe, and that you’ve got things under control. There’s nothing to worry about! When dialoguing with your saboteur, Dan’s question, “What do you want for me?” is so important. Listen with compassion and let your saboteur know that fear often accompanies growth and transformation and that you will be able to deal with the triumphs and tribulations that arise. Your saboteur is not alone! We are so much more than our ego, yet we never ignore what it has to tell us. All voices get to be heard, nobody gets to be wrong and all truth is partial!
Thanks Kim. The Saboteur’s Voice is a great addition to the list of inner voices.
I find my true inner voice comes from trial and error and growth experiences. I thought I liked this or that, I thought I would be good at this and I find out this is me or this is what I really need to focus on.
Amazing message, Dan. The truths embedded in your words spoke to the very core of my being. Sometimes thoughts rifle through my mind so quickly as my inner conversation with myself explodes in every direction: thoughts meddle with emotions, realities with fantasies, fears with opportunities. Going forward, I long to be more discerning of these echoes from the past and keep them appropriately in their place. I need to take control of my thoughts better these days, and I believe your three questions will serve me well in the future. I see this pattern in the Psalms of David frequently where he engages in dialogue with himself (cf Psalm 42). Thanks for putting to words what my soul has been feeling and needing lately and giving me a tool to detach from unhealthy thought patterns.
Today I had an epiphany … was it my inner voice screaming at me? I felt instantly energized b my inner voice’s suggestion on how to move forward in my life. I’ve been stuck lately in many ways but listening to the lyrics of a Mountain Goats song unlocked my inner voice and revealed a potential career path I had not considered before. Thankfully my ever predominate inner critic voice was taking the day off today.
Hi Dan,
What a great message.The first voice I hear is probably a combination of the inner voices.It is a chore but my true path has always been that”Still Small Voice”
It is a matter of slowing down ,listening and acting for me to dispel the other false prophets(voices)
Thanks
My Best
John