smart people who talk to themselves

Growing up, whenever my mother caught me talking to myself she would ask..

“You know what they say about people who talk to themselves?”

Man, I wonder what she’s saying now. 

I always talk to myself.

I’m always telling myself a story. 

In fact, just last night I was talking to myself.

I had just finished writing "Only one family I want to be a part of" and I was telling myself it wasn’t worth it, and there was no point in writing and publishing The Daily Tithe. 

I was reminding myself things weren’t going as well as I hoped. 

And oh, nobody cares. 

Of course the story was/is untrue. It’s just the one I was telling myself.

I was feeling hopeless..

And then I started telling myself a different story. 

A better story. 

I reminded myself of the journey and the benefits of the work.

I let go of the need for external rewards and results. 

Still talking to myself, just a different talk.

And then..

Early this morning I was listening to Jay-z’s verse on “God Did” when something caught my attention. 

It was sticking out like a sore thumb. 

I heard it loud and clear. 

It was Jay-z’s ad libs. 

If you listen closely to the second half of Jay’s verse you will hear what I’m talking about. 

It’s Jay-z talking to himself. 

“Come on”

“Come on, Hov” 

Almost as if he was filling in the spaces with words that encouraged him to give more of himself. 

Adding to his gift.

Interestingly enough ad libs are done once the verse is complete. 

Once the work is done. 

It’s the words we add. 

Self talk. 

And of course as we’re doing our ad libs the only words we hear are our own. 

Self talk. 

“Come on”

“Come on, Man” 

“Come on”

“Come on, (insert your name here)”

Talk to you tomorrow. 

And me too. 

HOV did!