Voices in Your Head
- jondab
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
I think that everyone has had someone or more likely more than one someone who has said negative things about them. And often those negative voices move into our head and stay for a long time. And they talk to us.
Last Easter Sunday our minister, Rev. Jenn, spoke about rising above negative affirmations that we have been told or that have been told about us during our life.
Some examples she used are:
· He’s a loser
· He’s a nobody
· He breaks the rules
· He’s not Jewish enough
She pointed out how we can rise above these negative affirmations and become our own strong person. We can be a wayshower and unlock our true potential.
She referenced the Nike commercial for Super Bowl that ends with “You can’t win. So, WIN.” I’ll admit I had to look up this commercial, but it certainly made the point of not letting negative affirmations control your wins.
I’m sure that most of us grew up hearing people say things about us that we ended up believing and that influenced our lives.
Some that I grew up with were:
· You can’t do that – you’re a girl
· You’re a klutz
· You’re not attractive
· You’re not artistic
I think I was in my 40s before I started doubting these voices in my head.
As I work with my clients, many of whom deal with ADHD and/or Chronic Disorganization, they often share their inner voices.
I hear from them:
· I can’t believe some of the stupid things I do- I’m so stupid
· I never complete anything – I must be lazy
· I’m not like other people – I think I must be crazy
· No one else has these problems
As I work with my clients to help them organize their spaces and clear out clutter, we also work with the clutter in their head. I point out their strengths. I remind them of their progress. I let them know that they are not alone with their struggles. I give them permission to do what is right for their uniqueness.
The point I am trying to make is that if you hear voices in your head that are saying negative things or are making you feel sad and unimportant, question those voices. Where did they come from?
Show those voices that they are wrong.
Rise and win!
If you are ready to work on any organizational project that will allow you to mark something off your list and want some tips, encouragement, or accountability for that project, join Diane Quintana and me in our Clear Space For You virtual clutter support group. The group will offer ideas, support, and gentle accountability for working on developing plans or projects.
Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients.
That's right! No one told us that the voices in our head are telling us the truth so we need to challenge them. I love how you work with your clients on these negative voices in order to clear their mental clutter. And I love that NIKE commercial. Sometimes, when someone tells you, you can't do something, it makes you want to do it even more.
Oh, Jonda, there's so much truth in here. It reminds me of two pieces of advice I've received. First, a therapist once took out a pink (my favorite color) index card and wrote, "Consider the Source" on it, and had me carry it in my wallet. (Is the critic honest? Is the criticism constructive? Look at the who and why behind the negativity.) With that, I've always loved the concept, "Don't trust the opinion of anyone you wouldn't ask for advice." Did I mention SO MUCH TRUTH? When I was young, I think my brain refused to accept negative talk; I'd tell myself I didn't believe the mean, negative things I heard, but apparently my heart and soul didn't always have…
Oh, I love this post! Sometimes these voices come at us when we are young, and we take them as truths so deeply that we don't even question them! I love the idea of considering what beliefs we may have about ourselves that could be wrong. Is it possible that whoever put that thought into our head was just mistaken? In many cases, we even "mishear" a message, or take something we overhear about someone else to be about us.
This whole thought is so empowering. A perfect message for Easter sunday, when Jesus did exactly what nobody would have said was possible!
Those internal messages can be harsh and damaging. As humans we have a negativity bias. So if we receive both negative and positive feeback, we tend to focus on the negative and ignore the positive. If we're not careful, this negativity can become a running script.
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