Building Self-Awareness starts with the soundtrack in our mind…
The Soundtrack in Our Mind: Learning to Control the Voice Inside
This morning, I was driving my kids to school when my youngest asked me how a friend of hers was feeling. I replied, "I think he is feeling better, but you could always pray for him." She then said, "We aren't allowed to say it out loud in church." I tried to explain to her that it’s perfectly okay to pray in our heads, and that God can hear us even when we don’t speak aloud. This led to a long discussion about “the voice in our mind,” which, as you can imagine, was a bit too deep for a before-school conversation with a 5-year-old.
As I continued my drive to work, I thought about that conversation, and something struck me: the soundtrack in our minds. That internal voice can be so loud—no matter your age. It's so realistic, so convincing, because it’s our own voice. The voice that looks in the mirror and analyzes all the things we don’t like, instead of appreciating all the things that are right. The voice that shapes our friendships and our sense of confidence. The voice that encourages us to shrink, to hide, when we feel too big for this world.
It’s the same voice that whispers our prayers at night, and it’s the same voice that screams our fears while we sit at the lunch table or face a difficult decision. It creates a constant soundtrack in our minds, and it can feel so hard to mute or turn off. If only we could say, "Alexa, cancel music" to quiet the noise. But, unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
There are so many perspectives on this voice, this inner soundtrack. It can be both a friend and a foe, offering us encouragement, but also planting doubts. The important thing I want to emphasize today is the power of awareness. We must recognize that we control this voice. In fact, we are the only ones who truly can and should control it.
It's easy to forget that we have the power to choose what we listen to, and sometimes we need to take a step back and reflect on whether the voice in our heads is helping or hindering us. Is it full of negativity, criticism, and doubt? Or is it filled with encouragement, love, and acceptance?
As parents, as individuals, we have a responsibility to nurture a positive soundtrack in our minds and to teach the next generation to do the same. It’s not easy, but being aware of the voice and choosing to manage it is the first step toward owning it—rather than letting it own us.
So, the next time you hear that voice creeping in, whether it's self-doubt or fear, take a moment to pause. You’re the one in control. And just like I told my daughter this morning, it’s okay to have a quiet prayer or thought in your head—because what you tell yourself matters.