Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It : Book Review

Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It 

Ethan Kross

 

 

 

I hear a voice, don't you? It sounds like my own, but it also sounds like a family member, a teacher who didn't believe me, a partner who spoke as he walked away. It is the voice of a threatening boss who said something that was untrue, and a celebrity who admitted a shocking failing.

We listen to them all the time even when we don't hear them. (Tweet This)

This is a great book. A book that cannot, no should not, be rushed. It talks about things we've heard, and things we should have been taught.

Because knowing which voices to listen to and which to hear but still put away is probably our biggest lesson of all. (Tweet This)

I had a friend decades ago, who was outgoing and the centre of every party. She could tell the most outrageous of lies without batting an eye and bend the truth with the skill of practise. We weren't friends for long, but I remember her well. I heard her voice, I didn't trust my gut, I didn't listen to the warning of the adult in my life. And it all turned to crap. The details aren't important. I'm sure you've had someone just like that in your life too.

Chatter gives you the tools to identify the importance of all the voices we've heard along our way. The sounds that come from a television and what they are trying to convince you, the placebos that work because we want to believe, the green spaces that filter into our minds and can truly make us better. All important so that we can choose which ones to let in.

It combines stories of everyday people (some of whom you probably know) with scientific research written in an understandable way. It addresses psychological pain as real as the physical kind and how we can recognize both for the value they bring to our growth.

This is a book to have on your shelf whether you are a student of psychology, now or always, and for everyone who wants to understand their day and the people around them better.

Pick it up! It's definitely worth it.

Stay well, stay kind. (this book will help)

I received an advance copy of this book for an honest review, and now you know what I thought. #NetGalley #Chatter

Celebrating Growth

This time of year is often a time of closing down and moving on. 

You might spend a portion of your day in a real classroom, standing in the front or you might be real student reclining in the back row. In these instances, you are measured.

When you were a youngster, your family likely purchased photos of your growth. You were able to see what had changed in the past months. Like this little Miss, everyone could see your growth, and guess what? Take my word for it, she's smiling. She knows she's changed, she's literally reached new heights (sorry, I couldn't resist) and she's proud of it.

Celebrating Growth

But as we become bigger, we forget about keeping track of these things. We don’t always document how we’ve grown, there is no measuring tool for our step by step accomplishments.

There is a wonderful quote that says,

“We overestimate what we can do in one day, 

and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year/decade..” 

(By the way, this quote has been attached to many from Bill Gates to Matthew Kelly to Tony Robbins. If you know who first said this, please drop me a line.) Unlike the youngster whose size you see here, we do not necessarily recognize our own growth.

Much like my Feel Good File – where I keep emails sent to me over the years which encourage me or give me thanks, I suggest we all keep a running list of our accomplishments. 

• Jot down that big sale you made (and why you think you made it )
• Scribble down your first 10km run with a big star on your calendar (and how you can’t wait to do it again)
• Do a happy dance when you get your 100th Follower on any Social Media platform (and acknowledge what you did to get there)
• Tell everyone the day you do your first perfect tumble at the end of the swim lane without-getting-water-up-your-nose (and how you are no longer afraid)
• Whatever you do, be happy that you have touched someone's life (smile!)

Mark these steps down, we need to celebrate them, because they are all a part of our growth. And then we can use them for motivation when our spirit is lagging... and to share with others.

What do you do to plot your progress? (Click to Tweet)

What have you accomplished and not even noticed? (Click toTweet)