About the voice in our head

We like to think that when the voice in our head says, “Oh, I am really scared” that those thoughts proceed to control our actions.

It turns out it’s the other way around: that our body has made a decision that it’s scared (or hungry, or angry, or lonely, or tired, or whatever) and then the voice in our head reports what is going on with your body.

In other words, the voice in our head is a narrator. But if we want to change the story, we don’t stop the person narrating the script. We need to change the script!

We can stop bargaining with the voice in our head and realize that it has no autonomy or agency. Instead, we can say thank you. Thank you for informing me about what is going on. This is significant when it comes to making work that matters.

The Body: Hands get hot, posture sinks, hands folded across your chest.

The Mind: “Stop this. You are going to be made fun of. You’re not qualified for this. Who do you think you are?”

Your Response: “Thank you. But I need to get back to work.”