Two Voices: One Reality

We all have two voices within our minds that struggle to be heard. One voice is telling us our purpose, our desires. It tries to convey our value and our strengths. The other voice is busy telling us why we can’t do all of the things that the first voice is saying.

Yet we can only give life to one voice at a time. And we do that by choice. We can choose to listen to what the first voice is saying, and our reality becomes one of purpose and strength. Or we can choose to listen to the condemning negativity of the second voice, and our reality is then wrought with struggle and strife. Which voice we choose to let determine our activities is solely up to us.

So my question to you is this: which voice are you letting guide your reality?

In these tough economic times, it’s easy to give into the voice with bad intent. We see our circumstances as insurmountable, and so it is an easy fix to listen to the negativity. But there is a huge difference between our circumstances and our reality.

A circumstance might be out of our control, but our reaction to it is up to us. Maybe you’ve heard the saying that “Life is 10% what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it.” We can choose to react by listening to the voice that tells us that things are too tough, so we might as well give up. That we’re banging our heads up against a brick wall trying to survive right now. Or we can react to the voice that tells us that we are strong enough, smart enough, and creative enough to not only get through this tough circumstance, but to thrive because of it.

Using Self-Awareness to make it through Tough Times

We all go through things in our lives that are Character-Building. Some people call these character building experiences "tough times." But it's not until you are faced with challenges that you are given the opportunity to rise above and show what you are made of. And while we go through these experiences in life, it is important to be self aware.

But what does that really mean?

It means that you need to remember that even though you FEEL like the world is conspiring against you, trying to hold you down, and you can't get a break...that's not necessarily true. Because you are going through the fire, you feel the heat. Therefore, everything that happens seems to have greater intensity because of it.

So take a deep breath and stand back for a minute. When something happens that makes the world seem as if it is conspiring against you, evaluate it with self awareness. Because little things that aren't pleasant, but are truly not catastrophes, are likely to be magnified. They become that proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

Think of how you would view the same situation when life is rolling along just fine. Would it even be a big issue? Is whatever event that happened truly something that needs action, or are you just hyper-sensitive due to other circumstances in your life? If it's the latter, you would be wise to focus the situation into perspective, talk about it with a trusted confidant, then move on and forget about it! Otherwise you will create a spiraling, self-fulfilled prophecy effect that WILL make that event even worse.

If you maintain the ability to focus on what is going on inside of you, you can control which circumstances you allow to shape your life: for better or for worse!

Jacki Semerau © Copyright 2008