The Voices Inside (And Why I Choose to Listen)

If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, anxiety, or feeling like you’re not enough, then you already know what some of those voices sound like.

There are voices in my head. A whole choir, actually.
Some whisper. Some shout. Some crack a joke and wait for a laugh.
And for a long time, I didn’t get to choose which ones got the mic.

If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, anxiety, or feeling like you’re not enough, then you already know what some of those voices sound like. They say things like:

“You’re too much.”
“You’re not enough.”
“They’re not going to like you.”
“What makes you think you can do that?”

Those voices are loud. They’re repetitive. And they sound a lot like truth when you’re tired enough.

But lately, I’ve realized that not every voice in my head is mine.
Some of them are old wounds.
Some of them are echoes from people who didn’t understand me.
Some of them are fear in disguise, wearing my voice like a costume.

And some?
Some are the voices that taught me how to feel alive.

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The ones I choose.

I hear voices from the stage. From late-night YouTube rabbit holes. From old CDs I used to blast in my room like my life depended on it.
I hear the rhythm of George Carlin, the confidence of Bo Burnham, the curiosity of Mister Rogers, and the unapologetic chaos of Taking Back Sunday.

I hear Robin Williams, from the wonder and joy of the infamous Genie, to the heart of Dead Poets Society, to the tender fire in Mrs. Doubtfire, and the quiet ache in his more serious projects & stand up.

I hear Eddie Murphy’s confidence and ability to do virtually anything. I hear Conan’s quick wit and self-deprecating charm, and see his insane resilience through his hardships. I hear Steve from Blue’s Clues, quietly teaching me how to look closer, wonder more, and feel things all the way through.

I hear my best friend hyping me up after every project completed.
I hear my daughter’s voice saying something so honest it makes me laugh and cry at the same time.
I hear a stranger I barely know say, “Hey, you’re really good at this,” at just the right moment.

These are the voices I choose to keep.

I call them back in when things get noisy.
Because when I’m on the edge of shutting down, I don’t need another voice telling me I’m a failure.
I need the voice that once told me,

“Even if it’s not perfect, it’s still worth doing.”

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Building confidence with borrowed voices.

Here’s something I wish someone had told me sooner:
Confidence is knowing what voice to trust when you’re not sure.

Self-awareness gives me the power to pause and ask, “Whose voice is that?”
Is it my inner critic?
My inner child?
My inner stand-up comic?
Someone else’s baggage I accidentally packed?

That pause, that moment of recognition, is everything.
Because once you know who’s speaking, you can decide who gets the final word.

And more often than not, I give the mic to the ones who’ve made me laugh, made me feel seen, or reminded me I’m not alone.

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Peace isn't quiet. It's clarity.

People think peace means silence. Stillness. Total calm.
But for me, peace sounds more like a well-balanced mixtape.

It’s the negative voices fading into the background, while the good & true ones rise up for the chorus.

Peace will never eliminate those voices.
But we must curate the ones that help us move forward.

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Ask Yourself…

If you’re dealing with your own noisy headspace, try this:
Next time you hear something inside you that stings, stop and ask yourself: Would I say that to someone I love?
If not, let it go.

Then call in the voice that would say something kind.
Let them be louder.

Because we don’t always get to choose what shows up in our heads.
But we do get to choose what stays.

And I’m choosing the ones that make me feel alive.

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