“What I like best about cell phones is that I can talk to myself in the car now and nobody thinks it’s weird.” ― Ron Brackin, Author

It’s quite common now to watch people walking down the street talking to, what appears to be, no one. They have this little piece of technologically stuck to their ear with a string hanging down attached to their phone.

I confess, I am one of those people. I’ve had a few looks and stares. Sometimes people think I’m talking to them and they’ll respond, to then realize I’m on the phone.

So, it got me thinking about the times I actually am talking to myself. What is it about talking to ourselves that is wonderfully therapeutic?

When I was a little girl I had an imaginary friend, Louise LeBon. (English translation: Louise The Good).  Kinda cool that I created this best friend and gave her such a great name, at that!  She’d help me set the table, she sat beside me at meal time, we played board games, enjoyed fun outdoor adventures and, of course, inspiring 4 year old conversations!

One of my first real adult jobs at the age of 19 was a legal assistant at a law firm. When I first joined the team, I remember noticing the assistants scurrying around the office talking to themselves. I quickly became one of ‘them’! It was a fast paced environment, reaching deadlines and getting the job done. We’d joke about the conversations swirling around in our minds and the mutters that went with it.

Fast-tracking to today, I continue to have dialogues with myself when I’m preparing to make a decision. As an entrepreneur, I put a lot of time into ‘thinking’. I go on long walks and hikes to process and strategize. When I’m driving, I’ll talk to myself. And before I start my workday I spend time in the morning thinking with an occasional out-loud commentary.

I guess my early years were training ground, teaching me how to have an awesome conversation with myself!!

So, why do I talk to myself?  It’s my way of thinking out loud. Processing. Dealing with. Attending to. Sorting out.

My question to you is:  how often do you think out loud?

When I have to rehearse a conversation or do a presentation, I’ll lie on my couch and talk to the ceiling. I want to hear what I sound like. And I want to make sure it’s exactly what I want to say.

Talking out loud gives our minds an opportunity to hear what its actually thinking. It’s the auditory to our mind. We become our very own sounding board.

You’ve heard the expression “think before you speak”? I’d like to change it a bit to say, “think out loud before you speak.”

Commit to making great decisions for your personal and professional life. To pursue great decision-making, why not try thinking out loud as one of your resources?

 

Karen Thrall