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Think back to Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, the Smurfs, the Inside Out movie - they all showcase more vividly what the human psyche is like.
Different entities based on mood, feeling, past experience, and external influence.
Same goes with you too, except we like to sum up our collective makeup with reductive words of convenience like ‘me’, ‘I’, ‘you’, etc.
These simple terms work well for day-to-day functioning in society, but on the inside, it’s a whole different world.
Ever since I was little, I have always envisioned my mind having a European-style congress of Mitchell's sitting around with the white powdered wigs on.
In this imagined room, there's only one microphone standing in the middle, right behind my eyes where they see out.
They each represent something different about me and are frequently fighting for a chance to speak and get their agenda out.
Each thing spoken becomes a thought that passes through my awareness. The tricky part is that they all sound the same - my voice!
Actually, they're not all my voice.
There's also family members, friends, and people you've never met, but have heard about through stories, movies, or content.
They take up some degree of space too and are noticeably different when they form a thought.
You can instantly tell that it's coming from a different place.
We all have the experience of imaging what our moms would think about X situation or Y choice, but we ignore it.
Still though, she's in the room, attempting to persuade.
Discernment is critical for understanding your inner makeup.
It's a terrible idea to simply go along with whatever thought passes by and take it at its word.
No. Instead you ought to let the inner conversation & debate ensue, but not force it mean anything tangible unless worthwhile.
Discerning which part of you...which 'you'...is doing the talking provides leaps & bounds in personal growth.
This idea of a Gaggle of 'You' becomes fascinating when you consider it in the context of your routines & habits.
Your goals are essentially an agenda for this gaggle to cooperate towards and achieve.
You get there by establishing certain habits, which are the versions of you that shall lead the way. The ones who will hold the most sway.
Your habits and routines are the congressional votes of the gaggle for better or for worse.
Obviously, you'll want to be giving more of the attention to the right 'people'.
The ones who make suggestions that are more beneficial to the overall community ought to be given more power and influence.
There are habits and behaviors that you can instill in your life that literally bring out the best in you.
The opposite is true too.
There are no doubt some assholes with too much stage time. The ones who don't deserve the attention they're getting and are counterproductive to the overall agenda.
And, like the others, there are habits and behaviors that bring them out, front & center.
I bet if you're like me, it won't take you but a split second to imagine the versions of you that need to be fired immediately.
Ones who no longer are allowed at the microphone, who don't deserve the support of their peers, and who tend to ruin what they touch.
There's a limited amount of awareness to tend to these characters and their demands, so it makes sense that we eliminate the ones who waste our time.
The cool part is that we can outsource and gather characters externally.
Of course, some are included with childhood (your parents & siblings), but others can come from the information you consume, friends, and the like.
This already happens naturally, but it won't hurt to bring intention into the process.
You have the whole world (and folks from history too) to choose from.
Chances are, you may not even need to do much hiring.
There is likely a monk you that patiently sits in the back of every meeting, rarely saying a word. Always observing, always present, but so gentle & still that you forget he's there.
Some of the best parts of you won't yell, they'll whisper.
If you can just simply calm the place down from time to time, you'll be able to hear them too.
