Talking with Myself
Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008
by Dianne Lehmann
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Do you ever talk to yourself? I think that we all do from time to time and maybe more than we realize. Do you find yourself saying things like "Come on, girl, you've got a deadline," "Oh man, I'm really running late," or "Why did I just say that," throughout your day? These are fairly common things we might say to ourselves.
But have you ever had a conversation with yourself?
Sometimes I will stand in front of the mirror and observe my expression as I try on this way of looking at something or that way of feeling. My posture is also a good indicator of how I am affected by my words with myself. But sometimes my deepest insights come to me when I can not see me at all, when I am soaking in a tub full of hot water. But at all times, I speak with myself out loud.
When I think a thought, it is informed by all the other thoughts that surround it and the issue at hand can become cloudy and ill defined. But when I say the words out loud, they are distinct and precise and clear. They stand on their own. Often a thought that is painful and bothersome will become simply silly when I hear myself say it to me out loud. But sometimes not. And then I know where my work is.
If you are uncomfortable talking with yourself, try imagining you are talking with a good friend or even a not so good friend, but do it out loud. Get outside of your head. Bring your thoughts, fears, concerns and feelings into the outside world. Yell at yourself. Praise yourself. Console yourself. Be frank with yourself and be honest. Tell yourself the things you think you would never tell anyone else. Say them out loud and it might not seem so hard anymore.
It can be difficult to let others know what is really going on in your mind. There may be embarrassment or fear that another will not understand; misconstrue things. Talking with yourself, hearing the words out loud, informing yourself about you, can make getting the support that you might need from others easier. If you have already heard it said, it becomes easier to say it again. Don't be afraid or ashamed to rehearse.
In those times when you feel that no one is in your "corner," put yourself there. Be your best friend. Talk with yourself.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Hi Dianne,
I like how you shared yourself then gave others permission and suggestions on what to do to talk to themselves. It is therapeutic, I feel.
I talk to myself . . . full conversations. I also talk to God, out loud. Full conversations. Call me crazy but I hear from Him, too. I'm just ecstatic about it and won't ever stop!
Another enjoyable read from you. I like hanging out - in outerspace with you. :)
Hugs,
AvisHi Avis.It figures you would talk to yourself ... out loud ... too. Guess we really are a lot alike. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. And thanks.Hugs too,Dianne
Wow that was really a great read. I wasn't with you at first but I could actually see myself trying this. (Don't tell anybody hehehe) Thanks for sharing.Hi James.Yeah, it's not for everyone, but just this morning, my husband said that maybe he should try it. I really do think that it makes a difference.Thank you for reading and commenting,Dianne
Dianne ~ I just LOVE this piece! I do it all the time...and even my critters seem to know when I'm talking to me, or them. It is, in my opinion, a very sane thing to do. Who cares what the fly on the wall thinks?!Hugs & Giggles, Dearest One!Camille OliviaHi Camille.I do occasionally worry about "the fly on the wall." Especially when the weather is nice and I have all the doors and windows open because sometimes I get kind of loud.Here's an image: me, mouth yapping, arms waving in the air, having both sides of a conversation with myself, sometimes it's very adversarial. Our cat just leaves me alone at those times.Glad you liked it,Dianne
This sounds very therapeutic, but try not to do it while walking down the street; you could find men in white coats following you. lolHi David.I make jokes to myself about the men in white coats because I do sometimes find myself talking with myself in public. It's usually under my breath, but the mouth is moving and I have to work hard to make it stop. But at least I am not talking to some imaginary person that I think is really there. :) For a while, every time I visited our courthouse square, there would be woman standing facing a particular tree. She would say something, listen a bit and then say something else. Not to discount the possibility of tree spirits or the like, but the consensus was that she was a little nuts. Luckily, there seems to be a fair amount of tolerance for that sort of thing around here.Thanks for reading,Dianne
hi dianne,this was a fun article. my son talks to himself a lot. sometimes, i think there's somebody there, or he's on the phone, but he's not. i talk to myself at times, mostly when i'm begging God, and my angels, and my spirits to help me! but most of my talking is done in my head, which may just be my problem! i should let it out. thanks for the good suggestion.my best to you,sueHi Sue.I'm glad you stopped by. See, your son should stick one of those Blue Tooth thingies in his ear and no one would be the wiser.Thanks,Dianne
Haha! I do talk to myself, but I'm not so sure whether or not I've ever had a conversation with myself. Mostly, when I am talking to myself, it isn't out loud - just in my head.But this was fun though!Best wishes,JenniferHi Jennifer.I'm glad you thought it was fun. I wasn't sure originally if I should publish this one or not. But the response has been good, so I guess it was a good decision.Thank you so much for taking the time to read my ramblings.Dianne
Dianne, Yes, I talk to myself and wrote an article about it a couple of months ago here, too. Nice work! Warmly, BarbaraHi Barbara.I'm sorry I missed it, but I will look it up.Thank you for reading mine.Dianne
Hi Dianne, I color you warm and friendly :-) I have great conversations with myself, it keeps me sain. Thanks for a lovely article full of great advice. Love, TeresaHi Teresa.It helps to keep me that way too. I think that's mainly why I do it.Thanks and love,Dianne
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