Graffiti in Florence, Italy -photo taken by Barbara Scoville

It’s eight o’clock in the evening and you have just sat down with your favorite drink and a book, when you hear a nagging voice whispering, “You shouldn’t be reading; there’s still work to do.”

Or…

You’re having lunch with a friend in your favorite restaurant. You look at the menu and see your favorite dish, and then the voice makes itself known again, “You can’t have that; it’s too many calories. Look at the skinny menu.”

Or…

You are exiting the freeway and see a family standing in the median with a sign that reads, “Stranded and hungry, anything will help.” You hear a voice whispering, “Go to Wendy’s and buy them dinner.”

Some people might call that silent voice their conscience, but is it really?

In Don Miguel Ruiz’s best selling book, The Four Agreements