Arguing With Myself

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Like tiny gnats darting around my head, life can get annoying. I lash out trying to swat irksome obstacles away. But like those minuscule beings, vexing issues keep buzzing until I can’t stand it anymore.

When life gets difficult I tend to complain and try to fix things I have no business fixing. I get stressed and rather than take care of myself I leap into matters that are way over my head.

Here is a conversation I have with myself on a regular basis.

I’m sick and tired of ….

Release it!

Yes, but I ….

Let it go!

But who will ….?

It doesn’t matter!

Well, somebody has to ….

Release it!

I can’t!

Then live with the consequences!

But, you see if I don’t, then ….

I can’t hear you!

Yes, you can! You just responded!

I can’t see you!

Well, what if I ….?

See ya!

Wait! Where did you go?

jzr
9/23/06

Do you have arguments with yourself? See if you can get one down on paper. It’s fun!

Comments

  1. You nailed it, Joan! Negative self-talk is so easy to come by and positive self-talk seems to take a steady, conscious effort. Amazing, isn’t it? We hold the power within us to banish the pest by how we respond. Love your dialogue. it sounds familiar. 🙂

    • Joan Rough says:

      I’m sure everyone has conversations with themselves like this one. Writing it a while back and just finding it a few days ago, was very interesting, as I was having that argument once again! Thanks, Kathy, for stopping by.

  2. Sounds very familiar to me as well. Resisting what is. Mindfulness is always a practice. I’m going to try and write a conversation like yours. I think it might be very enlightening!

    • Joan Rough says:

      it was very enlightening to write this, Dorothy, and plan on putting a few more together, Dorothy. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of this little exercise.

  3. Spot on, Joan. I don’t think I need to write my own mind chatter so similar to yours, but I do think I need to up the ante on practicing meditation, counting my blessings, listening to music . . .

    • Joan Rough says:

      Upping the ante when it comes to meditation, and counting our blessings is always a good thing, Marian. And yes …. music. Aaaaaah!

  4. Joan — I loved reading through this self-dialogue, the the end I was laughing!

  5. Francine Brady says:

    Yes, I am too old to move to Canada. My heart breaks hearing of parents here for 20 years taken from their children. Everyday another outrage. What can we do, sign another petition? Go for a walk?Stay away from the TV, like a moth to a flame I turn it on. Man kills two from India saying “get out of my country” what am I to do….. I take a nap.

    • Joan Rough says:

      Thanks for stopping by, Francine. We are living in heart breaking times. We all must remember that before we can help anyone else, we must first take care of ourselves. And taking a nap is part of that strategy. Having more energy perhaps we can do something to help the world calm down.

      • Francine Brady says:

        Thanks Joan, I am a child of the Sixties. Our battle-cry was Peace and Love. Looks like Greed and Hate is on the march. I hope this generation is up for the fight.

  6. I’m a practitioner of a Jungian technique called Active Imagination–a fancy name for something we all do, but it adds writing it down. Writing those conversations down seems to move things a tiny bit for me. And I have journals filled with those conversations, so it’s no magic cure. Sometimes the only thing to do is meditate or take a long hard walk. It’s very hard to release political stress right now, and I sure as hell don’t want to swallow it. Working on taking a step back to gather a wider view while still acting where I can. And then, Release it… I can’t…

    • Joan Rough says:

      I know the feeling, Elaine. I am thinking of taking major steps to keep my mind from going overboard. I may be giving up on social media like Facebook altogether, though limiting myself to 15 minutes 2 times a day is helping dramatically. I can’t allow that stuff into my life. All it does is make me angry and depressed. I listen to news twice a day and that’s it. It’s just enough to keep me informed.