“Self Talk, Soul Talk,” by Jennifer Rothschild

Have you ever read a book and thought, “I wish I had read this about ten years ago”? That is exactly what I kept saying when I was reading Self Talk, Soul Talk, by Jennifer Rothschild. True to its subtitle - “What to Say When You Talk to Yourself” – the book tackles the tough topic of how we talk to ourselves and why we talk the way we do in our inner dialogue. This is something I’ve struggled with a lot in my life, and have had to learn to lean on the Lord for truth about who I am rather that who my mind says I am. It has taken a long time for me to feel like my self talk does not imprison me, and I am finally at a place where I feel like I can say that is true. I have learned to control my thoughts more than I let them control me.

That being said, my journey to this place might have been an easier one had I read this book sooner. It is packed with helpful, practical insights on how we speak to ourselves, and offers suggestions on how we can change the tapes that play over and over in our minds. It is clear, in reading the book, that the author herself has wrestled with this tough issue a lot in her own life, and that makes it easier to swallow her advice. Words of wisdom on this topic (like that of depression or marriage or parenting) coming from someone who has never been there never sinks in; advice from someone who has lived it, though, carries a weight of realism that penetrates deeply.

If you find yourself being unnecessarily cruel to yourself in your thoughts, I recommend this book highly. I would also recommend it to anyone who is close to someone who deals with this struggle, as it sheds light on the problem and can give understanding that one caught in the mires of destructive self talk cannot give at the time.