Want to know the truth of who you are?
Want to know how you’re experienced by others? Here’s a shortcut to finding out.
Listen to yourself when you speak – either to yourself or others.
Pay attention to what comes out of your mouth.
Notice the language you use privately… inside yourself… when you’re talking to yourself. Then, notice the language you use when you’re speaking out loud to others. Do they match? If not, how are they different?
What kind of verbs do you use (do they imply action, intention or excuses)? What tense to you speak in (about the past, the present or the future)?
What percentage of your time is spent on transmit (you doing the talking) and what percentage of your time is spent on receive (listening to others)?
And finally: when you do speak, what are the circumstances around your expressions? How comfortable are you with silence? Are you able to choose simply to not engage or do you need a story to justify?
Listening to what comes out of your mouth requires that you become mindful of the moment you’re in. From there, all things are possible.
If you’re seriously in the game of your own evolution, track your discoveries. (Each one will take you down a different path, with all of them leading back to yourSelf.) You can do that in a number of ways: a voice message on your phone; an email to yourself; a recording app with a folder for your insights; and the big one, an actual journal with paper and pen! Whatever your preference, being able to revisit an insight will serve you well.
Enjoy!
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