Hey friends,

If you’re human, you probably have an inner voice that, if we’re being honest, is probably not very nice.

It’s the kind of voice that criticises everything. Not constructive. Not helpful. Just… cruel.

It’s an internal voice that can feel like having a crazy, deranged stranger following you around all day—doing nothing but beating you up for everything you do.

Yet, and somehow… we allow ourselves to just be totally okay with it.

We carry on with our day as if nothing is wrong and that voice will always be there.

But it’s not just a voice we create for ourselves.

Sometimes, that voice comes from other people in our lives. And those people aren’t necessarily trying to harm us. Quite often, it’s the opposite—they’re there to guide us and support us.

But we have to recognise something important: they have their own internal voice too. And sometimes, that voice can be just as unkind.

Parents, coaches, and loved ones can say things they don’t realise have a lasting impact.

It’s not always the direct, obvious criticism. Most of the time, it’s subtle comments—passing words that slide under the radar but lodge themselves deep in our minds.

Things often said across from us:

“They always do this.”

“They’re their own worst enemy.”

“They always find it hard to overcome.”

“They just always struggle”

These statements might not be intended as absolute truths. But read them again… they sound final, don’t they?

Spoken words can feel softer than written ones, but said often enough, they’re like the death of a thousand paper cuts.

Only this time it’s the creation of a negative mindset. Like building a brick wall, brick by brick. Every comment, every phrase that is not caught and reframed, is another phrase that places another brick onto that wall.

So how do we stop building that wall?

Or better yet—how do we stop laying the first brick?

By minding our language.

And I don’t mean just avoiding profanities.

I mean being mindful of how the words we use—toward ourselves and others—can carry more weight than we think.

This is grounded in a principle from yoga philosophy: Ahimsa, or non-violence.

It’s not just about physical harm. It’s about not being violent in the words we use to speak to ourselves—or about others.

So while many of us are in a lifelong battle to transform that inner voice into one of our greatest allies…

Start by minding your language.

Not just for your own sake—but for those around you.

It reminds me of something Jordan Peterson once said:

Because often, the way we talk to ourselves eventually becomes the way we talk to others.

And if that voice isn’t kind to you, it probably won’t be kind to them either.

But if you learn to speak in a way that builds, uplifts, and encourages growth—

If you look for optimism over pessimism—

Then the words you say might just become the kind of words that you, and others, truly want to hear.

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Quote I liked

You meet 0% of people in rooms you’re not in.
Knock on the door.

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Recommendation for you

Aldi Protein Puddings (and shakes) - these things are a problem for me. Adding to my protein goals while being the ideal desert (and post workout shake) for me.

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Podcast

I have a podcast that helps you build a stronger mind to take on life. Like me, it's a work in progress.

Subscribe to the podcast here.

(p.s. If you can subscribe on Youtube that would be amazing.)

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I'll see you later,

Lewis

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