Reply To: Exercise 3: Inner Monologue
Inner Monologue Reflections
Watching my inner monologue is a decades old practice for me but writing my thoughts down isn’t part of my normal practice. Looking back on what I wrote I would identify three categories:
1. Planning for what I need to do in the future
2. Looking back on what already happened
3. Reflecting on how I am feeling
What I wrote didn’t really have common thoughts other than what I stated above, but I am aware of recurring thoughts that I have that weren’t demonstrated by this exercise. I set the alarm for three times a day. I didn’t always write when the alarm went off but it reminded me to do the exercise when I could write. I did recognize that my thoughts are often of an organizing and planning type, how to get things done and in what sequence I need to do them according to priorities.
I would guess that the categories of my thoughts aren’t much different than others but that there would be significant differences in content and emphasis. I know in my earlier years, I had more evaluative thoughts than I do now, specifically negatively evaluating myself or judging others. These thoughts lead to challenging emotions that need to be dealt with. I still have those kinds of thoughts, but they are not often central, and they don’t consume much of the oxygen of my thinking. I have learned strategies to observe them and make choices about where I want to put my energy. I think age and practice have contributed to the difference (“method observation of thoughts” otherwise known as meditation and self-reflection?)