Shifting the Inner Dialogue (# mental “hack” 2)
I am an avid follower of Deepak Chopra’s teachings. In his youtube on “Synchronicity and the Manifestation of Desire, he speaks in-depth on the inner dialogue and the role our thoughts play in the reality we create for ourselves. People’s experiences are shaped by the content of their inner dialogue. This content can’t always be seen by others, but the results of it can.
If a prevailing and persistent thought keeps telling us we can’t do something then that becomes the reality we create. The prevailing thought will determine the next thought, action or emotion taken or felt. Doubt (productive or destructive ) is a also a thought. So how then can one step out of an unhealthy hesitative or self-doubting moment into joy and wonder?
There is a gap between a thought and the person’s reaction. This is our inner dialogue. In that gap, we have the power to choose how we will react. If by tapping into this “power” meaningfully, a different reality can emerge. Our self-power comes from either object referral or self-referral. Object referral means gaining our power from something that is external to me. Object referral generally has a beginning, a middle and an end. Power gained from object referral can run their course as the power an object once had can be diminished. Self-referral, on the other hand, comes from within and generally has a more permanent effect on us. What is the shift and how is it done:
(i) Object referral implies that we create an identity to an object and that identity is then held by the person. For example if I hold the image that wearing a diamond represents the status of the wealth I have accumulated or that a diamond is a symbol of love and eternity. This is about giving the object a meaning that is external to me. If the identity I have given to the object no longer holds true then my power will diminish with it. So if I had to place the experience of having such a diamond within myself and not hold it to an identity, then I am not at risk of losing my self-power. The technique suggested to bring about a shift is by shifting the inner dialogue. In a technique of facing a mirror and repeating the words that “I am totally independent of criticism, I am fearless in the face of challenges and I feel neither beneath nor superior to anyone” our inner dialogue is replaced with something that is more connected to our higher self. By doing this we free ourselves from the unnecessary narratives that could play havoc in our minds. It allows us the space to become more carefree and focus on creating powerful realities rather than on self- doubt or hesitation and prevents us from running the risk of diminished power.
(ii) Another technique recommended to enhance our inner dialogue is called “tuning into the world”. If you are in the space where your thoughts are racing and you feel distracted when you sit still for a few moments and listen or take in all sensations around you (i.e. the sounds, feelings, (all sensory input) within you. Tuning inwards means becoming still and fully present by focusing your mind on receiving sensory inputs within you. It allows you to not be preoccupied or distracted by busy thoughts that end up creating anxiety and self-doubts. When you tune in, it has a positive effect on everyone around you. Say to yourself that you are “tuning in” and stay there for a few moments until you feel more centred.
The attached youtube by Deepak Chopra is the source of this blog in which he describes these and other techniques in-depth. I have applied my own interpretation of this youtube for the purposes of this blog. Remember the content of our inner dialogues cant be seen by others but the results of it can be seen or felt.
Let me know how things around you change by shifting the inner dialogue.
Source : https://youtu.be/1d2xHtfF54U