Two voices war against each other in our minds every day. One is soft, resilient, and ever cheering us forward in our pursuit of abundance, peace, and joy. The other is loud, obnoxious, and overpowering in its pursuit of tearing our inner peace to pieces, siphoning our joy, and leaching all thoughts of abundance from our minds. Without our attention, it’s lifeless, homeless, and useless. The latter is parasitic, and its outcomes are deadly. If allowed to stay any amount of time, it can take a lifetime to condition away from. Both are contagious. Once caught, both grow and multiply, replicating their effects throughout our entire existence inside and then reflecting outward. Both must be invited, and yet, only one waits patiently. The other will take any kind of attention as an opportunity to push its foot through the door. The good thing about this parasitic voice is that once its host notices it for what it is, that is, a liar and a nuisance, it disappears just as quickly as it showed up.
When The parasitic voice speaks, it relays condemnation. You’re not good enough to have that. What makes you think that can be achieved? Why waste your time? Aim for what’s safe. See how hard it is? That means it isn’t the right choice. Who are you to believe you can achieve what so many others failed at? … This voice is a bully and a coward. It leads us to act cowardly and lash out toward ourselves and others. It condemns our every move until we freeze and become motionless.
When the voice drawing us toward our best version is offered the spotlight, it allows us to view our condition objectively and with compassion. It convicts us rather than condemns us in areas we can improve. It always offers higher ground where we allow it too. Don’t beat yourself up. It’s okay. Everyone makes mistakes. Maybe that wasn’t the right move, but we learned something, right? How can we grow from this experience? Where can we go from here? What will be our next move? Maybe this wasn’t the right way to go about it, so how will we approach the situation should it present itself in the future? It leads through constructive feedback and helpful questions. It motivates and cheers us on in areas where improvement and movement occur, no matter how large or small it may seem.
These voices rest on either side of the same infinite spectrum and rise as high or sink as low as we allow. Negativity and positivity, warmth and cold, fullness and emptiness. All of these bear similar traits to these voices. The one speaking toward abundance, peace, and joy embodies positivity, warmth, and fullness. It comes from a place of love, light, and life. While the other speaks from a perception of lack, it breeds negativity, leading to death on all levels of our existence.
With these in mind, which houseguest will I invite to share my day with me? Which voice will I pay attention to? What wolf will I feed, so to speak, conviction or condemnation?
Today, I choose conviction so tomorrow’s success can come to fruition.