Your Inner Voice

Today, I want to ask the question of what has your inner voice spoken to you about lately?

I know for me, there is always something brewing inside of me that says I could have done something better, or I need to do something different.

As we sometimes try to silence our inner voice, there are always ongoing streams of thoughts and feelings that can either keep us up at night or help us with some self-talk to quiet our minds.

Sometimes it’s not one thing; however, many things I have quickly realized, such as not to take things for granted and to trust my instincts.

When you read Inner Voice Psychology: The Power of Self Talk, you  will find that “The whispers within our minds shape the very fabric of our lives, guiding our thoughts, emotions, and actions in ways we are only beginning to understand.”

Inner Voice Psychology: The Power of Self-Talk

I’m quickly reminded of the quote from Zig Ziglar that “Yesterday ended last night.”  When you know and understand that the people who are standing in your way or slowing your progress are only temporary, you can silence your inner voice.

I recently spoke at a conference discussing one of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, written by Stephen R. Covey. Habit 1: Be Proactive, which is about taking responsibility for our lives.

It’s all about our circle of influence and our circle of concerns.

Things we can control and things we have no control over, respectfully.

Interesting that there are plenty of brain hacks to quiet our minds if we choose to use them.

A Neuroscientist Explains How to Quiet Your Mind and Find Some Peace

As one who reads about the brain and how it works, sometimes we must clear our heads or minds of all the noise we are receiving before going to sleep.

https://neurolaunch.com/how-to-turn-brain-off-to-sleep/

As mentioned earlier, I remind myself that yesterday ended last night.  Particularly, when I wake up, I try very hard not to carry yesterday’s burden or troubles into the next day.

What about you?  Are you keeping records of bad things?

I wrote a blog, “Don’t keep records of bad things,” last December, and it’s my reminder to let things go.

https://mckinleysthoughts.com/dont-keep-records-of-bad-things/

In understanding your inner voice, we must all realize that there is plenty of noise around us; however, we have the power to silence it.

I like the quote from Roy T. Bennett, in his book The Light in the Heart, which says, “You will never follow your own inner voice until you clear up the doubts in your mind.”

Knowing that we have no control over the Government, the Market, or Organizations, think about your Attitudes and Behaviors you are displaying every day for others to see.

What is your face saying about what you are thinking?

Yesterday was Mother’s Day 2025, and for those who still have the opportunity to hug your mother, consider that a blessing.

My mother is deceased and departed in December 2016.

In understanding my inner voice yesterday, I was reminded of those conversations we had about life and how proud she was of me.

It doesn’t have to be a special occasion for your inner voice to send thoughts, however, it’s how well you control them.

How we live our lives is up to us.  How we control our thoughts is up to us.

What is your inner voice doing to help you live your best life?

Here are two quotes by the late Steve Jobs to remind you of your inner voice:

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”  Steve Jobs

Today, I challenge you to take time and do some self-reflection on what your inner voice is telling you.  “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.”  Vincent Van Gogh

Blog source: https://mckinleysthoughts.com/your-inner-voice/

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Great Friends

Today, I’m grateful for not only having friends, but also great friends.

You might ask what is so great about having great friends.

The answer today lies within the letters of G-R-E-A T!

Below are my mnemonics of the word great!

• Giving
• Respect
• Enjoyable
• Action
• Trust

Although these five letters and words could have been different, these were my first thoughts about having great friends.

My thoughts this morning reflected a recent fundraiser for my church.  It was also the blessings that came with it.  I had the words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV) To my surprise and wonder, a few of my friends called me and said they wanted to donate instead of buying the popcorn that I was selling.  Some even after the four-day fund-raiser ended.

I call that a great friend.

I even received messages from some of my friends who were unable to give, yet they humbled themselves, letting me know that they were praying for me in reaching the established goal I had set for the fund-raiser.

Again, great friends.

When you are willing to share your private victories with someone else, that is also a great friend.

I learned many years ago which is tied to being resilient is that when people call you to share something important in their lives, they chose you specifically to share their success.

We should not take any of that for granted.

Jim Rohn says that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.  It’s all about relationships and connections.

You Are the Average of the Five People Quote: 5 Lessons

I know that I have written about friends before, which is why I titled this blog “Great Friends,” which is different.

You know you have a great friend when they make it into your journal of the five things to be grateful for, and when you receive an unexpected blessing from them.

Sometimes I ask myself why this person decided to bless me today.

Some of my great friends I’ve known for over twenty years and had the opportunity to have them shed their tears with me and vice versa.  It’s that element of trust that they know their secrets are safe with me.

I’ve even heard their cries and seen them cry.  Who said that when you cry, you’re any less of a person?  Our emotions are who we are in life.

In addition, some of my great friends have made sacrifices for me, and I will never forget their kindness. I’m sure you will understand if you have great friends who are willing to make sacrifices for you as well.

We’ve heard the phrase” Actions speak louder than words.”  As I reflect on great friends, their actions do speak louder than words.

“My little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but indeed and truth. -1 John 3:18”

Actions speak louder than words and are more to be regarded.

President Abraham Lincoln confirms the phrase in the vernacular by 1856, writing,

“Actions speak louder than words” is the maxim, and, if true, the South now distinctly says to the North, “Give us the measures, and you take the men.”

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: “The Power of Action Over Words” The Best Speech By Simon Sinek.

Great Friends as those who are “Giving” of themselves to you.

Great Friends “Respect” you for who you are without passing Judgment.

Great Friends are “Enjoyable” to be around, and you enjoy their company.

Great Friends are those who by their “Actions” that speak louder than words.

Great Friends are those who you “Trust” and they trust you.

I have learned that Great Friends will follow up and check on you when you least expect it.

On any given day, our circle of influence will grow beyond our measure for others to see.

What are you doing today to grow your circle of influence with others?

It could be as simple as using the gifts and talents you possess to be kind to those you meet.

I know that I have a neighbor who lives across the street from me, who always has a giving heart.  Paul is in his eighties, yet he is always giving of himself to others in the neighborhood.

He’s one of the reasons I’m part of our Neighborhood Crime Watch Program, as he rode with me several years ago, showing me what to look for within our neighborhood or subdivision.

Each of us has different categories of friends that we can call in the middle of the night as we think nothing about it.

I’ll close with the fact that each of us also has specific blind spots we can’t see, but others can see it as it relates to the Johari Window.

How to Use The Johari Window Exercise for Leadership

The Johari Window Model

Today, I challenge you to think about those great friends in your life who see things in you that you don’t see.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller

Blog source: https://mckinleysthoughts.com/friends-and-great-friends/

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Friends

My question today is have you ever had such a profound weekend that you learned something new about the word “Friends.”

This past weekend was one of those experiences for me when someone asked me how was your weekend, I must say Great!

I’m a Toastmaster!

Toastmasters International -Home

In my current role as Program Quality Director (PQD) for my District, I was responsible for the planning and execution of our 2025 Spring Conference held in Panama City, Florida April 25-26, 2025.

In almost every Toastmasters Club around the world, each District will have its Spring Conference either in April or May before the outgoing Trio (District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director) is elected for the upcoming Toastmasters year that happens on July 1^st like clockwork.

As PQD I was also responsible for selecting our Keynote Speaker.

I’ll get to that in a minute.

There is a specific order of business at each Spring Conference and ours was no different.

In the end, It’s a display of leadership and proper planning for those attending that you want to make your conference as memorable as possible.

Aside from my weekend being profound (Meaningful and Heartfelt) it was packed with various aspects of six degrees of separation that were also deep.

On October 25, 1983, the United States Army was engaged in a Campaign known as “Urgent Fury.”

Our guest speaker was born in Grenada and when I asked him how old he was during the invasion he wasn’t even a Teenager.

The connection between him and I was Grenada.  It helped tie something together for me.    What you don’t know is after the invasion the following year a soldier that I trained while I was a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning, thanked me for training him properly.

The invasion was ordered by President Ronald Reagan, citing the threat posed to American nationals on the Caribbean nation of Grenada by that nation’s pro-Marxist regime. The invasion overthrew Grenada’s government in little more than a week.

Until this weekend I had never met anyone who understood what happened and was impacted by the service of the United States Army.

There were other connections, however this one was noteworthy.

What was also noteworthy were his profound quotes.

The first came from his grandmother as he shared with all in attendance “When you rise lift others with you.”

The second one was “Friends will take you there and take you back.”

Many of us probably don’t have a long list of friends that fit into that category.  I was honored as he presented me with an autographed personal copy of “Speak to Inspire” that he co-authored with Viktoriya Sokolova.

“McKinley, Words cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for everything you did to make my trip comfortable.  Please enjoy this copy as my appreciation to you.  You definitely are the friends that take you there and take you back!”  Roger Caesar

The person I’m talking about is none other than Roger Caesar Toastmasters International third-place World Champion of Public Speaking 2021.

Brampton Toastmaster places third at World Championship of Public Speaking

Roger also told us a personal story of what his mother said to him saying “You will know when the time is right.”

As I thought about what transpired over the weekend as it related to the word “Friends” I reflected on those who continue to support me without me having to ask them.

The words “Friends will take you there and take you back” are profound when you understand the full intent behind those nine words.

It is a reminder to me of how you treat people and how they treat you in response to your kindness, sincerity, and compassion for them.

Although there are other words that I could also use or choose these three resonate with my life and how I felt in each situation.

This weekend I wrote in my gratitude journal about the importance of the nine words and the people who I call my friends.

Maybe you have a list of friends that fit in that category too.

I plan to do something special to honor them and show my appreciation for their friendship.

I’m forever grateful to every person who helped make the 2025 Spring Conference a success.  As I am preparing to take on my new role as District Director on July 1, 2025, there were various lessons I learned this weekend.

I also had the opportunity to teach a workshop this past weekend and spoke about the Circle of Concern (Things we have no control over) and the Circle of Influence (Things we have control over.) Stephen R. Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.”

The finale of our Spring Conference is the Distinguished Toastmasters (DTM) Walk. This is where the designation of being a DTM is bestowed upon you for others to see your accomplishments and recognize your successes.

I had earned my second DTM and was officially recognized in front of my peers with a fanfare of congratulations.

It was truly a moment “When you rise lift others with you.”

Many of the people who congratulated me during the DTM Walk were the ones who lifted me through my journey.

Toastmasters International -Distinguished Toastmaster

I’ll leave you with these two quotes: “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” ~ John Lennon

This weekend it’s those footprints and smiles that cause me to reflect on those words. “Friends will take you there and take you back.”

Today, I challenge you to take some time this week to reflect and think about those nine words “Friends will take you there and take you back.” Maybe you will do something special to honor them and show your appreciation for their friendship.

Blog source: https://mckinleysthoughts.com/friends/

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