Learn the art of talking to oneself

One man, however, when challenged about talking to himself replied that he liked to hear a sensible man talk, and he liked to have a sensible man to talk to!

Journalists take a slightly different slant on this practice, asking celebrities what advice they would give to their seventeen -year-old self.

Such a question enables them to articulate the lessons life has taught them.

Sportsmen know that ‘talking to oneself’ can have a beneficial effect. Mike Brearley is a former England cricketer, widely regarded as one of their most successful captains.

He is also a trained psychotherapist who counts sportsmen among his clients.

Derek Randall was a batsman in an England team under Brearley, and played one of the great test match innings against Australia.

Throughout his innings Randall would talk to himself, in a way which infuriated the opposition.

Because he was something of a ragamuffin in childhood, when playing with bigger boys, he would often say ‘Come on, Rags’.

One client of Brearley was amateur golfer Tom Newton.

Although a good player, he felt he had been outperformed by players with less natural ability than himself. It transpired that when not playing particularly well, Newton had the habit of acting as though he did not care.

He seemed bored, when in reality he was disappointed.

While advising him to work on his technique, Brearley also suggested that he address the problem of his boredom, and the down-beat feeling that ‘nothing I can do is good enough’.

Instead, he needed to see his golf game as an opportunity to take himself to task for his apparent indifference. Newton took both lessons to heart, and two years later informed Brearley that his game had dramatically improved. Talking to himself had played a part in his improvement.

The author of Psalm 42 knew the spiritual value of talking to himself. He was a priest, who found himself far way from his spiritual home in Jerusalem. He longed for a sense of God’s presence, declaring, ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God’(vs 1). He felt pressurised, being surrounded by folk who poured scorn on his faith, asking, ‘Where is your God? (vs3).

Remembering happier times when he had joined with a multitude in worship (vs 4),the author engaged in a dialogue with himself.

He confronted his problem, asking himself, ‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? (vs 5).

Then he told himself in the darkness what he had learned in the light, stating, ‘Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God’.

When doubts arise, it is good practice to talk to oneself about the reality of God’s love.