First off I would like to apologize for not getting my Mindful Monday posts out like I have said I would. Consistency is necessary for growth and having an active following. Which is great considering I hate letting people and myself down. Work in progress😁 I have had a few things going on that stymied my creative & internal voice flow (inner monologue). If you haven't guessed by now, I a lot of my writing is what one would call intuitive. It comes from that tiny voice inside me. If I had to think about what I write most of the time, then I couldn't come up with the valley girl halfing with half a brain (If you missed that's cool, I'm working on part 2 due to a few requests). My inner voice is what starts to sing when random things catch the voice's attention. It's like I have an internal soundtrack. It speaks too, but mostly in music.
Most of us have this voice in one form or another. Some say it is our instincts, our conscience reminding us of what we need to be doing. Some say it's our id, our ego or even our super ego. I have even been told it's my guardian angel, spirit guide, an ancestor guiding me. It is all relative to your belief structure. However.... it is a legitimate part of our being.
In the 1930s, psychologist Lev Vygotsky conjectured that inner speech was caused by the internalization of external speech.
In various studies based on Lev Vygotsky's theories when our inner voice it speaking, our speech center of our brain is highly active. It is very fascinating to read about what is termed as inner voice flow and the theories behind it. Along with this though, is that this is where many psychologists have started to believe where schizophrenics hear voices. It is their inner voice flow and that it has taken on various voices in order to 'help' that person cope with what their brain is interpreting. In their case, they cannot tell what is internal or external. It is a topic that is as heartbreaking and heart wrenching as it is fascinating. Another time and place for that discussion.
When my kids were young it was the time when WWJD was exploding everywhere. (For those of you who may not know it stands for What would Jesus do? A form of directing your inner voice flow.) I wanted their inner voice to be their own, if not at least mine. That when they felt alone, my voice would be the one to comfort them. When they were afraid, my voice would be the one to guide them. I think you get the picture. It turned out that this was incredibly crucial act on my part. I am not going into details, but when they were taken by their father, this was one of the only consoling methods I had at my disposal. Both would sit in their room when it was quiet and would replay these conversations in their mind. They often told me that they never felt alone or abandoned by me because of this.
The ultimate goal was for them to build up this part of their minds. It actually is an essential part to reasoning. The dialogue you play in your mind to work out a problem. That is a result of your inner voice flow. Getting yourself psyched up to go in front of a crowd. That voice telling you that you will rock it and be amazing is your inner voice flow.
We need to be as mindful of our inner voice flow as we are of all aspects of our lives. The main reason most of my inner voice flow is music is because I have to change the channel. I have this voice in me that is dark. It tells me what a failure I am. It tells me that I am tired of hurting everyone around me. It tells me that everyone would be better off if I were no longer around. I let it say it's peace and change the channel. I know these statements are not true. I have tried to ignore it, tune it out or what have you to no avail. So I have chosen to co-exist with it. It lessens over time, but can come back without any 'visible' reason. Rather than beat myself up over this and be miserable. I change the channel. I would love for my voice to be supportive. To tell me I can do anything, that I can conquer the world. Mine simply doesn't.
I have done a few posts in the past in regards to being mindful of your thoughts to the effect you are what you think. If you believe your self-doubt then that is what you will become. The same can be said of your inner voice. It puts the words there you want to say, but your brain puts a halt to it when it is harmful. Being in control of your inner voice flow is as important as your thoughts. Some even say it's your thoughts. Personally, I have learned to notice a difference.
Feed and nurture that voice, especially in our kids. This is the tool that will help them overcome adversity, help them to dream big and not be stopped, help cultivate imagination, but most of all how to be a good human.
Sources
https://curiosity.com/topics/what-is-the-little-voice-in-your-head-curiosity/
https://www.diygenius.com/achieving-flow-and-confidence-through-self-talk/
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/internal-speech-is-driven-by-predictive-brain-signal.html
Source
Pay It Forward Contests
Brought to you by 
(steem witness)
Thank you for your continued support!
Love,
