“Everything can be taken from a person but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
– Viktor Frankl (Holocaust Survior)
I first read this quote in the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” and it’s stuck with me ever since.
To be honest it’s kind of annoying. Not the quote, the fact that it won’t leave my head.
Mainly because it’s right and really drills home that you’re in control at all times. It reminds me to honest with myself when it’s easy to let the emotions take over.
You always have the ability to choose. Choose wisely.
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The Inner Voice Explained
I’ve talked about this before but wanted to give a little more background on what’s happening and why.
Inner speech is thought to have evolved as a way for us to communicate with ourselves. It allows us to plan, reflect, and solve problems. This voice is believed to be a tool that enables the manipulation of information in working memory which is essential for a wide range of mental processes.
That’s a lot to say it allows us to talk to ourselves. It can be used as a way to plan, solve problems, reflect on our thoughts and feelings, and as a way to regulate our emotions and behaviors. Again it’s a tool for us to use.
If you were interested in where in the brain your voice is. It’s believed to be closely linked to the development of language, as it allows people to organize their thoughts and ideas into coherent sentences, much as they would when communicating with others.
There is also some evidence that inner speech is related to self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-evaluation.
In short, inner speech is thought to be an important cognitive tool that allows people to organize their thoughts and plan for the future, it’s also related to self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-evaluation.
Knowing this can hopefully make you see how important it is for that voice to be a positive one. To have a realistic view of the world and also be optimistic about what you desire.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
– Marcus Aurelius
“HEAD ON APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD”
If you were old enough to have seen this commercial on tv your back probably hurts and you grunt when you bend over. Congratulations we’re old. lol
You can find the commercial online but the product was designed to alleviate the headache their commercials caused. Don’t quote me on that.
Oddly enough now that I’m older I still experience “HEAD ON” only it’s from a slightly different perspective.
Whenever I’m faced with something difficult that emotion of fear starts to arrive. But since I know it’s natural and can be both helpful and harmful depending on how we deal with it, I can decide what I will do with this emotion.
Although it is tough, one of the most effective ways to manage fear is to confront it head-on. By facing our fears and working through them we can gain a sense of empowerment and control over our lives.
Lean into the hard parts of life but don’t do so blindly.
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult.”
– Seneca
Search for Meaning
In this rare clip from 1972 Viktor Frankl, legendary psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, delivers a powerful message about the human search for meaning.
Video Length: 4:21
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Wrapping up:
- You always have the ability to choose. Choose wisely.
- The inner voice is a very powerful tool. Use it positively.
- One of the most effective ways to manage fear is to confront it head-on
That’s all for now.
See you next week!