SILENT CONVERSATIONS

I wondered if she could hear them, the unspoken thoughts so seemingly loud and insistent eclipsing what was actually being said.

 _____________________ 

There is an energy in the unspoken. We believe we are thinking in silence. But those around us are always aware—

We sense when another is being disingenuous,

We pick up cues that there might be more to what is said.

I would go so far as to say people know what you are saying to yourself about them behind their backs. This is not so much about our “intuition” as a frequency often audible on levels having little to do with what we see or hear.

 Have you not carried on a simultaneous dialogue with another?—

One conversation unspoken.

The other shared out loud.

These silent conversations. Such a profound and prolific aspect of who we all are.

Yet, astoundingly, more than 50% of the population claims they have no inner monologue.

If I compare this statistic to my own inner person, I find this impossible to believe.

Perhaps this skepticism is characteristic of my writer’s brain, where every interaction becomes a story internally unfolding, inspired by the concrete world.

Still, this is one thing we all have in common, that is the existence of the hushed and invisible ‘us,’ the one that either edifies or criticizes [ourselves and others] sometimes without us even being aware.

I mused with one of my dear reader’s about how many of my followers are aware of their inner voice. He immediately replied, “Probably all of them because of the spiritual and philosophical aspects of what you write.”

When was the last time you rehearsed an important meeting, reversed an unfortunate incident, or reprehended someone inside your head?

These silent conversations, designed to aid us in working the hard moments out and through, are often wasted on the external evaluation and criticism of others, rather than listening from a “me” point of view.

 “He’s so arrogant.”

“She’s too skinny to wear that dress.”

“He’s so careless.”

“She’s often aloof.”

Why have we allowed our self-talk to become so negative and unproductive?

Is it the culture in which we live?

We discover who we are when the heart takes over and starts a conversation of its own: The most neglected part of us will always find a way to get a word in.

This gift. The monologue within.

First, I commit to listen for it,

take in what I’m trying to tell myself a little more,

then, instead of  commentating about the world, focus within—

~Acknowledging the monologue not as some random occurrence.

~Identifying it as a supernatural gift designed to uncover, develop, and mine

every powerful aspect of who I am.

We move in the direction of our most-dominant thoughts. We just have to be aware of what those thoughts are and how often they occur, then bring them into a conscious self-dialogue that challenges, corrects, and molds.

Getting to know ourselves better is an extraordinary mission. The knowledge we seek is so often already within us. So, why do we hide it from ourselves?

To discover whether you have inner monologues, try listening in and noting an internal voice or intrusive thoughts during your quiet time.

This begs the question, how much quiet time do you have? The answer may be the single most important revelation as to how you are living your life now.  

Our silent conversations have much to teach, have lifetimes of secrets to reveal.

NOTES:

I have something I need to share—as with most of my blogs, I read this one to Ron to ensure it was “interesting, meaningful…” To my surprise and delight, he revealed that he had written a poem, “about me,” I ask? in a particular time past that he believed elegantly illustrates what I’m trying to get to in this piece.

 I am inspired to share that poem with you now—

~Imagine scenes of triumph or despair or perhaps something else,

words spoken, often disguised anguish for our muted conversation~

 those strangled words that hold us from truth

MUTED CONVERSATIONS by Ron Kraft

Waiting, watching as

her companion’s

voices crash over her

in borrowed language

each eager for approval

She hears the question,

“Do you all see what I’m saying?”

Her muted conversation screams,

 [Are you SERIOUS!?

Yes, I understand, you’re just repeating

what you heard online.

Is there ANYTHING original or creative you’d like to add?]

Her muted conversation worms along,

 [Will anyone stop this self-aggrandizing wallowing?

Why do I bother to fight my way into a group that revolves around 12 second sound bites?]

Her mind continues its flow,

[What would they say to my thoughts?

of the dreaming, the etchings created by the waves

on countless beaches,

each singular water’s rush

a masterpiece

of sensical repeatability

that eludes their notice?]

Someone asks, “Hey are you listening?”

She says smiling,

“Yes, that’s fascinating! Pass the salt please.”

Frozen smile as her muted conversation continues,  

[Should I share that the ocean’s waves are replicable only because in the vast expanse of time and space, gravity waves are emanating from distant galaxies?]

Her table companions heat up

raising their voices,

“Don’t you think I’m right? How can you say that? The article was very clear...it said...”

Her muted conversation cries out,

[Oh, God help me! Are they really talking about another actor’s overdose?]

But she says allowed,

“Hey, pass the pepper, please.”

The others resume

their flow of

regenerative nouns and verbs,

sounds of baseless reverberation

and echoes

of shallow self love.

She smiles

excusing herself

forever.

STATISTICS ON INNER MONOLOGUE:

 ~While nearly 70% of us claim we have no inner monologue, the truth is, all of us really do—

~Nearly 25% of our time is spent in silent conversations with ourselves.

~Sadly, 80% of our “self-talk” is negative or unproductive. Awareness can instantly turn this around.

~It’s fascinating that experts say 20% of us [male or female] have a predominantly feminine inner voice. Is this because our more feminine side is the one that evaluates and analyzes more?

~58% of us experience inner speech as a conversation with ourselves.

~Nearly half of those who admit to having inner monologues experience them in pictures rather than in words.