The Voices In Our Head - Only one can eat. You choose.
Written by Miller Hollstein
The devil on your shoulder.
The invisible trickster.
The menace that grasps at every opportunity to induce self-doubt.
It goes by many names, but in modern times, the nagging negotiator I’m referring to has been deemed: the inner voice.
You know the one.
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Easily identifiable, but often overlooked, the inner voice that I am speaking of is the little voice inside our heads that grows louder and louder when something gets harder and harder.
It urges us to take a break, slow down, and be satisfied.
It wants us to be comfortable and content.
And it promises happiness and fulfillment.
But beware! These are all false promises.
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The inner voice is only worried about its own survival. And it uses fear, discomfort, and change to lure you in and feed off your potential.
Ok, that is pretty dramatic, but it really works that way. Let me show you.
Whether it's going on a run, quitting a bad habit, learning to cook, creating a business, raising kids, starting a new hobby (or literally any other endeavor), you will eventually make progress and begin to improve.
As you improve, the old level gets too easy and becomes boring, so you intuitively seek a greater challenge to keep you engaged. And with challenge comes struggle.
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As soon as this “struggle phase” begins, discomfort and “the unknown” begin to arise.
New obstacles and uncertain results are scary to this inner voice. It spots an opportunity and pounces; whispering in your ear the sweet melody of resistance and fear.
It is at this moment that you get to choose how you respond.
And how you respond shapes your life.
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We talk a lot about running here at DRMN BG because the lessons you learn from running can be observed and applied to most situations in life.
That is why so many successful people are runners, that is why we are runners: to learn, to dig deep, and to grow.
So when we discuss running, look past the literal and listen to the lesson.
On a long-distance run, there are infinite ways this voice tempts you to cave in to comfort.
“I think maybe you're getting a little hungry. Have you had enough to eat today? What are you going to eat later? Wow, you are hungry! Let’s quit and go grab a quick bite.”
“Are you getting thirsty? You haven't had much water today. You really don't want to get dehydrated, you know. Oh man, your mouth is so dry. Take a break real fast.”
“You've been doing really good recently! Tone it back a little, you don’t want to get too tired. You have been running for quite a while. Take it easy, you’ve earned it.”
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Every time you give into these, you feed the beast.
As it grows, it becomes the dominant voice in your head and you become seemingly powerless to the chains of mediocrity and laziness in which it has bound you.
But, the fight is never over.
There is always hope and a way forward, you just have to begin small.
You just have to begin.
Recognizing this is the first step.
The next is the fun part: fighting it.
Under the voice’s spell, there seems to be no way out. Fear and resistance paralyze and blind you.
But, there is a secret power hidden within.
The antidote. The voice’s kryptonite.
Your will.
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As with anything, starting small allows you to build and grow.
Little wins build confidence and experience. With practice, you will begin to learn the tricks of the inner voice, allowing you to spot it and shine a light on it for what it truly is: a fraud.
Take this opportunity to shift your attention and your energy. Give it all to something other than this fraudulent con man.
It is through this that you take away power from it.
Before, you were giving nourishment to the enemy, starving yourself.
Now, you flip the script.
By feeding your will, you are slowly choking the fear out.
This is why we preach digging deep.
Said differently; it is committing to building your will and starving the inner voice of resistance.
For a lifetime.
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How you do anything is how you do everything.
It does not matter where you begin, you can find the opportunity to practice this in any part of your life (as I said, literally any endeavor).
And you will see the results carry over into the rest of your life.
That is what has happened up to now with the voice. It has spread like a disease into every area of your existence.
But, the tables have turned.
Push yourself. Feed the will. Starve the enemy. Dig deep. For a lifetime.
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