Psychologists, philosophers and positive thinkers alike pretty much agree that the most important conversations you can have are those with one person in particular: yourself. Self-talk.
The reason is that our attitudes are influenced most by the voices?and the messages?we are exposed to most often. And since everywhere we go, there we are, since no one person is around us as much as we are with ourselves, what we tell ourselves is more important than what anyone else might tell us.
I Psychologists, philosophers and positive thinkers alike pretty much agree that the most important conversations you can have are those with one person in particular: yourself. Self-talk.
The reason is that our attitudes are influenced most by the voices?and the messages?we are exposed to most often. And since everywhere we go, there we are, since no one person is around us as much as we are with ourselves, what we tell ourselves is more important than what anyone else might tell us.
I just happen to take this conversational approach a bit more literal than most. Meaning, I talk to myself.
A lot.
Out loud.
In public.
It?s not that I set out to do this, I just can?t seem to help myself. I get lost in my own thoughts quite easily?and often?and without even realizing it, I?m mumbling away, as if there were two people there. Russ1 and Russ2.
To clarify, I don?t hear voices that aren?t really there (hey, they tell me they?re real, so I believe ?em!), and I don?t believe there?s some person with me who?s as real as you and I but is only visible to me. (I swear. Really.). I just get a little carried away.
Liz constantly busts me when I’m doing it, and sometimes she gets more than a little aggravated, because while we?re walking down the street or even just sitting on the couch watching TV, I?m next to her physically, but mentally I?m off in cuckoo land, participating in both sides of a conversation I?m not even aware that I?m having.
It?s like those times when you?re driving and you suddenly realize you?ve gone 10 exits you can?t remember, like daze-driving. Only this is daze talking. And sometimes Liz just assumes that I?m talking about her (usually I?m not).
Well … it?s just a beautiful day today here in New York City, so I made the most of it by going to Washington Square Park to eat my lunch. It was about 82 degrees, nice breeze, no humidity. Not a cloud in the sky. The perfect setting to sit back and just let your mind wander. Which, for me, as you might be starting to gather, isn?t always such a great idea.
So as I was leaving the park, a woman?s voice came from behind me. What it said was: ?Are you talkin? to yourself? Mm. Lord have mercy.?
I kinda shrugged, feeling a bit sheepish. But when l turned around, I saw this woman with a young kid to her side, and another in a stroller she was pushing. Now … I really, really, really want to believe that she was talking to either or both of the kids,, and not me?but I [i]was[/i] talking to myself.
I got busted. Again.
And that?s just how I roll. So, yeah … I?m a believer that the conversations we have with ourselves are the most important we can have. I just have to work on how I participate in these conversations?and where they happen. Maybe a little less self-talky talk in public would help me out.
Lord have mercy. Indeed.
Post edited by: rcolchamiro, at: 2007/07/15 06:57
