Achieve Your Goals with Hal Elrod

Episode 612: “Talking to Yourself Isn't Crazy (It's How You Master Your Mind)”
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Hal Elrod

Episode Overview

In this energizing solo episode, Hal Elrod challenges the stigma around self-talk, arguing that talking to yourself isn’t a sign of madness—it’s one of the most powerful tools for mastering your mind, boosting productivity, and transforming your emotional state. Drawing on personal stories, science-backed insights, and practical exercises, Hal offers listeners a new perspective on out-loud self-talk, culminating in a 14-day challenge for listeners to experiment with spoken affirmations and silent reflection.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Redefining Talking to Yourself

• Hal opens by acknowledging the stereotype of self-talk being “crazy,” flipping it to say that not talking to yourself means missing out on a potent form of mental training.
  • “If you don’t talk to yourself, you’re missing the single most powerful form of mental training that there is.” (02:00)

2. Backstory – Lessons from Matt Recore

• Hal recalls living with accomplished real estate investor Matt Recore, who regularly shouted self-affirmations—especially Tony Robbins declarations.
  • “He was yelling things like, I am the voice. I will lead, not follow...” (06:30)
• Initially, Hal found it odd, but he soon recognized Matt was intentionally programming his mindset, which contributed to his success and generosity (e.g., Thanksgiving “Basket Brigade”).

3. The Science of Out-Loud Self-Talk

• Verbalizing thoughts impacts your emotional and physiological state differently from silent thinking:
  • When others speak to us, their words, tone, and energy can deeply affect our mindset; the same is true when we speak to ourselves.
• Hal introduces “distanced self-talk,” citing psychological studies—the practice of using your own name for self-guidance (“Hal, you’ve got this”) instead of “I’ve got this.”
  • “Psychologists call it distanced self-talk... Instead of ‘I am worthy,’ use your first name: ‘Hal, you are worthy.’” (25:00)

4. Divine Downloads – The Conscience as Guide

• Hal describes receiving “Divine Downloads,” or wisdom coming to him as if spoken by another voice—the voice of his higher self or conscience.
  • Example: “Hal, you need to be willing to sacrifice your preference of going to bed early to spend quality time with your children, for the limited amount of time they still live at home.” (36:10)
• He frames this voice as variously conscience, highest consciousness, or “line to the Divine,” and urges listeners to act on its guidance.

5. Combatting Ego and Reconnecting with the True Self

• The ego (our conditioned identity) often drowns out the guiding voice of conscience. Listening and responding to this inner voice is key to personal growth and fulfillment.
  • “That voice—that’s not motivational fluff. That’s your highest self, your conscience, always pointing to your greatest good.” (34:45)

6. The 14-Day Self-Talk Challenge

• Hal prescribes a simple but powerful 2-week experiment:
  • Day 1: Speak your affirmations, prayers, and positive self-talk out loud. (Whispering is fine if privacy is needed.)
  • Day 2: Practice these things silently.
  • Alternate each day for 14 days.
  • After each session, rate your mood, mental, and emotional state before and after, journaling the effect.
  • “By the end of two weeks you’ll have your own data set. You’ll know whether talking to yourself improves your state or not.” (48:55)
• Hal encourages sharing results and tagging him on social media.

7. Final Insights – The Power of Voice

• Speaking out loud can guide and lead your mind, while internal silence helps you observe it.
  • “Silence helps you observe your mind, quiet your mind. But your voice can lead it. Your voice can lead your mind. That’s the miracle of mindful self-talk.” (52:30)
• Hal ends with a reminder to live fully and embrace the power of self-talk as a daily practice.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the stigma of self-talk:
  • “If you don’t talk to yourself, you’re missing the single most powerful form of mental training that there is.” (02:00)
• On Matt Recore’s practice:
  • “He was yelling to himself. He was yelling things like, ‘I am the voice. I will lead, not follow. I will create, not destroy.’” (06:30)
• On the psychology of name-usage:
  • “Think about how powerful you can talk to yourself when you’re using your own name.” (25:30)
• Real-life “Divine Download”:
  • “Hal, you need to be willing to sacrifice your preference of going to bed early to spend quality time with your children for the limited amount of time that they still live at home.” (36:10)
• On the effect of the voice:
  • “When I say my affirmations or I say my prayers out loud, I feel differently, my emotions shift faster.” (19:45)
• The challenge in summary:
  • “Talk to yourself out loud. Be, you know, be a crazy person if that’s what you think it is. It’s not a crazy person... Don’t just think positive, speak positively and record a note... I want to hear your results.” (54:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02 – Introduction to the podcast & episode theme
• 06:30 – Story of Matt Recore’s self-talk practices
• 18:40 – Science and psychology of spoken self-talk
• 25:00 – The power of “distanced self-talk” using your own name
• 34:45 – Divine Downloads and listening to conscience
• 36:10 – Example of a “Divine Download” about family time
• 48:55 – The 14-day out-loud & silent self-talk experiment
• 52:30 – Summing up: Silence observes, voice leads
• 54:05 – Call to action: Practice and share results

Tone & Style

Hal’s style is conversational, energetic, and inspiring—he mixes personal anecdotes with actionable advice, maintains a casual yet motivational tone, and frequently addresses the listener directly.

Summary Wrap-Up

Hal Elrod’s exploration of the power of talking to yourself will challenge how you see inner dialogue. Through evidence, personal story, and direct challenge, he demonstrates that positive verbal self-talk—especially when done using your own name—can be a transformative practice for mastering your emotions, focus, and mindset. The episode culminates with a practical two-week experiment to help you discover the impact for yourself, leaving listeners with a sense of empowerment and a clear first step toward deeper self-mastery.

For more resources, show notes, and to share your experiment results, visit hallrod.com/podcast.