It's OK to talk to yourself, and it is even ok to answer yourself, but when you start saying "huh," you may have taken it too far.
In his book, What To Remember When Waking, Irish poet, David Whyte (@whytedw), discusses the concept of engaging in a conversation with oneself. Meditation is the perfect mechanism to prompt the discussion.
Just as with a conversation with a long-time friend, there is not an immediate need to arrive at a full answer. This unhurried conversation allows time to breathe. Time to understand what season you are in, and what is in the realm of possibility. Dwelling with the unanswered question and sitting with the silence is part of the process. Multiple seasons may pass before the revelation is before you.
Humans alone, hold the ability to envision an alternate future. The distance between where you find yourself and where you had planned may be vast. This courageous talk is a voluntary, gracious and generous exchange. Closing the gap, reconciling the past and turning to a blank page to begin anew.
This inquiry addresses the practice of meditation and continuing the conversation; not the completion of meditation or halting the conversation. Completeness is not the goal; progression is the goal.
The odds are good that there will be another day to put miles on the running shoes, roll out the yoga mat, kneel in prayer, or open the Scriptures. For the brave, the dialogue continues until the final exhale.
What conversations have occurred, what is ongoing, and what remains? What questions have you shunned? What discussions brought radical change?