There are so many voices speaking in the world with a myriad of ways to listen to them. Podcasts, books, social media, articles, blogs, videos, and the list goes on.

I’ve slowly been reducing the voices that enter my headspace, because I want to be able to hear my own voice. I’ve unsubscribed from most email lists, unfollowed people on Instagram, and I’m intentionally choosing the books I read and podcasts I listen to. I want to be intentional about the few voices I do listen to, and engage with them in a deeper, ongoing dialogue.

For me, one of those voices is Africa Brooke. She actually speaks to the topic above on her podcast (Episode 77), and proposes not paying too much attention to what others are doing, and instead, to focus on creating. This way, the thoughts you’re having and the way you’re expressing them are coming from your own mind, and not your subconsciously repeating what someone else has said or created.

Listening to fewer voices also allows you to deepen the conversation with yourself. It literally creates more space for you to think, process, and discover what you think and develop your own way of saying things.