A man thinks in word-symbols, and such silent thought is equivalent to talking to himself. Sometimes when he is alone he speaks the words aloud.
But silent or aloud, his conservation with himself is creative….it makes him what he is.
More important than what others say to him is he says to himself. A man’s life is shaped by the way he habitually talks to himself.
A man can talk himself up or down, into happiness or unhappiness, into failure or success, into heaven or hell.
When he talks to himself in words of self-pity, defeat, cynicism, futility, fear, anxiety, despair, hopelessness and resignation, he tears himself apart and shatters his future.
A man can transform his life by switching the emphasis of his inner conservation to words that lift and inspire.
He can talk strength into his backbone so he will have the courage and confidence to stand up to life.
He can talk himself out of discouragement and despair by counting his many blessings.
He can talk himself into accepting hardships and handicaps and enduring them with a gallant spirit.
He can talk himself into seeing his duties and responsibilities in a new light – as opportunities and privileges.
He can talk himself about the beauty, glory and wonder of life so it will glow with a new radiance.
He can talk to himself about his dreams, hopes and aspirations. He can convince himself that there is a place for him and important work for him to do.
The way a man talks to himself has a dynamic power for self-influence. His words can make or unmake his life.
“Nobody” , wrote Cicero, “can give you wiser advice than yourself.”
Written by Wilfred Peterson in 1960.
