Book Review of: The Voice

Overcome Negative Self-Talk and Discover Your Inner Wisdom

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Reviewer: Mark Lamendola, author of over 6,000 articles.

Many of us are guided by a negative voice that undermines some of our best efforts. It tells us we aren't good enough, we're not deserving, we will fail, we don't deserve to give or receive respect, and other such negative ideas. This doesn't mean we are insane. It just means we are letting some doubt or criticism from the past overrule our inner wisdom and thus hold us back from achievement and happiness.

In this book, Dr. Altman shares techniques and philosophy you can use to change that message. Using these techniques, you can hear your true inner voice, not the one that was wrongly programmed in the past and keeps playing like an old endless loop recording.

I've dealt with this very issue, myself. Thus, I recognize most of the techniques Dr. Altman shares. Some I have merely read about, others I have used. If a layperson's opinion counts, then I endorse what he's teaching.

Of course, there are limits on how far self-help can take you. But if you are determined to fully realize your potential, this is a great place to start. If you've already worked with a talk therapist, counselor, mentor, or similar source of assistance, you have probably come to realize that there's no permanent fix. You occasionally have to revisit your inner voice to put it back on track. Dr. Altman provides good insight into doing this effectively.

Now, it's not (normally) the case that some voice in your head loudly announces, "You are a failure." Calling this a voice is just a way of referring to it. You may not actually "hear" this voice, but the evidence of it exists in self-defeating behaviors, self-sabotage, approval-seeking behavior, or some types of social problems.

Interestingly, the negative self-talk can also be evident in the futile attempt to counter it with overly positive self-talk. If you've met someone who is conceited, for example, this person is very likely overcompensating for low self-esteem. Perfectionism and certain obsessive compulsive behaviors also result from this condition. If you suffer in any of these ways, Dr. Altman's methods can probably help you replace the suffering with happiness.

The point of effective therapy is not to replace reality with delusion. If you suffer from low self-esteem because you're too fat, the answer isn't to come to terms with being too fat (that won't save you from the medical problems of this condition, anyhow). Good therapy treats the underlying condition, which in this case would be to solve for why you eat too much. Similarly, if you have other behaviors that you feel bad about, the goal isn't to make you feel good about them. The goal is to solve for the cause of those behaviors. Chances are very good there's an inner voice driving you to do them. Dr. Altman's methods will help you work through that.

This book runs 165 pages and consists of a detailed introduction and four chapters:

1. Experience your challenge.
2. Judge your challenge.
3. Resolve your challenge.
4. Voice coaching.

You may not find the answer to exactly your situation, in this book. But odds are that you will.