What do you do about the voices in your head?
I love music. I am not good at making it though, but when I find a song that I love, I listen to it over and over.
As I write this to you, a list of my favorite songs is filtering into my consciousness as I rock back and forth gently to their unspoken melodies. Songs like Springtime, Band of Gold, Hand to Hold, Satisfied in you, New day…
Oh, sorry. Got distracted for a moment.
Much like songs, there are some sounds that you absolutely do not like, certainly do not want to play, but they do play over and over in your mind.
Like that voice that tells you that you’re not good enough, or that you don’t have what it takes to fulfill that beautiful dream in your heart, or that your failures are final, or that no one loves, you, or needs you. Or that God has given up on you.
As discouraging as they are broken, these soundtracks taunt you, punch you in the gut and keep you down.
Once you’ve heard a lie so many times, it’s very hard to deny or erase it, except there’s a truth to replace it.
And here’s where you can do something.
You need new soundtracks.
You know, those ones that are based on truth, because, how effectively you fight the lies in your head depends on how true the things you replace them with are.
Are you aware of your thought process? Do you think about what you think about?
Start today. Expose the lie by analyzing these broken soundtracks. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it honorable? Does it build you or break you? What experiences led to those lies? How can you establish the truth that will inform new thoughts?
Some call this an aspect of metacognition.
Truth is, when criticized, lies fall apart. You will find out that there were events or experiences that spawned those lies. They form when those past experiences cross over from being events to forming identity. It’s an anomaly.
At this point, you’re getting close to victory.
Then you counter the lie with the truth. For every broken soundtrack, there is a truthful one waiting to be embraced.
This is called reframing.
For every loud lying voice telling you that you are a failure, you can hear the truth saying that you aren’t. A project failed. Why? Maybe it’s a bigger dream than you can ever imagine. Maybe you need a little more time, some people to help, a few more victuals, to trust, a redirection. Then you will rise again.
When you find your new soundtracks, informed by truthful introspection, sing them over and over again. keep on repeat. That’s how you learn songs. That’s how you affirm and impress truth.
You can’t stop your mind from thinking a thought, but you can combat destructive thoughts with the truth. Through your senses, broken soundtracks will try to find their way into your mind. You need to shore up yourself with a consistent source reference to the truth so that when the lies come, you will not let it have the last word.
Sing with me this first truth – I am wonderfully made.
Go find others.
This piece is an experiential one. I used to struggle with broken soundtracks (negative thoughts). This helped me. In many cases, I used scriptures as a reference for truth. This post was inspired by Philippians 4:8 (ESV) and Jon Acuff’s masterpiece, Soundtracks.
“— Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
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