There's a profound notion about how the things we listen to influence us. To some it may sound a little over the top, but I believe there’s so much truth to it.
We don’t necessarily keep track of what we listen to the same way we keep track of the food we put in our bodies and we track our budget to make sure we're not overspending otherwise we're screwed for the next month.
We are just naturally a little nonchalant about what we allow through our ears into our minds. Anybody can talk anytime to you, that's like a house with no gates for the most part.
The music playing while you’re doing other things, parts of conversations you hear because someone else was having a conversation as well, videos you see while scrolling through YouTube or tiktok. Everything we hear is playing in our heads somewhere.
I’m not saying that every piece of music or podcast will have an impact on your life. That’s clearly a little dramatic. What I do notice a lot, particularly in myself is that when I’m surrounded by friends who complain all the time, I end up complaining more often as well and I don’t realise it until someone points it out to me. The same applies to listening to specific types of media for a long time. I notice the way I think begins sounding similar to the types of things I have been watching.
If it's dirty dark jokes, I start talking that way, if it's educational podcasts, I start sounding a bit smart. And that happens to almost everyone so that's a real thing.
This is not about being overly cautious or eliminating things from your life but rather trying to be intentional with how we listen by being mindful of our environment and the things around us. The voice that is speaking the most around you will become a part of your inner voice sometime. If you life is not going the right direction, there's a chance you're being influenced by the wrong things.