The inner voice is something people rarely talk about, perhaps because it sounds crazy. Do you hear voices? Auditory hallucinations! Call a psychiatrist!
No, not that kind. I'm talking about the loving, encouraging voice we hear when our minds are still enough for our hearts to be heard. This is the voice that says things like, "Everything is going to be okay. Just do your best." These messages rise from the well of love within.
I imagine, but I am not sure, that the anxious voice that says things like, "This is a disaster! You shouldn't have tried!" is unhelpful mental chatter.
I am curious about people's experience of the loving inner voice. Can you still your mind long enough to hear it? Is there any time that it is clearest? How often do you call upon your heart and listen?
In The Stain, Cassandra's inner voice experience changes over time as she develops maturity and emotional depth. The anxiety disorder that limited her social development eases as her sense of connection grows. Writing in the first-person perspective allows Cassandra to share her psychological processes in a more accessible way. This is one of the things that makes The Stain such a unique read.
Part of my focus in personal coaching is to help people tune out the mental chatter and tune into the loving voice. We could all use a bit more of that.
Image courtesy of the Canva pro media library.
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