Your inner critic…
is extremely powerful. Powerful enough to paralyze, silence, thwart, destroy. Powerful, but ironically the weakest part of you simply because you created it, so you can bring it down.
The most developed inner critic manifests as the voice of your mother, father, or someone important in your life. Someone whose words are like the Ten Commandments; they are immortalized in your mind for all time. But it’s really you, your voice, which you don’t recognize because when your inner critic speaks it’s through one of those voice changers.
You have not only internalized their words, declarations, predictions, but once they are gone whether from this world or they have moved to another state, you will act as proxy and continue their work in your life.
Recognize their work as destructive, soul crushing, insignificant flotsam gleaned from their own failed lives that they feel the current will release its pull on them if they attach it to you instead.
Foolishness on their part because, this is very important, what is theirs cannot be yours. And what is yours cannot thrive if constantly compared to theirs. You cannot walk in their shoes and vice versa. You are separate in body. Separate your mind as well.
Your Inner Critic Will Never Go Away
Keep in mind that your inner critic will never go away! But it can be quieted down.
How? You ask.
Well, when their words pop up in your head, say to yourself, or out loud, a word or a sentence that puts you in a better state of mind. A word or words that break up their words into tiny little pieces so they can disappear. A mantra.
A mantra is an often-repeated word or phrase. There are so many great mantras in books and on the internet. You can either adopt one that speaks to your heart or create your own.
A well-known one is, “I think I can, I think I can.”
Mine is super simple. It reminds me not to lament on the past, or worry about the future, it helps me to stay present.
I Am…
I am…and fill in the blank. Simple. My favorite is the word happy because when I say it, I literally feel a shiver, a tingle of joy, go through my body.
I say calm or at peace when I’m feeling anxiety. Use worthy, smart or successful when I’m working. I say beautiful and follow with humble when I look in the mirror.
The only requirement is that whatever you choose to follow “I am” it must be positive.
When choosing your mantra, no “I am not’s” allowed. No yesterdays or tomorrows. All we have is right now. Your inner critic can’t do anything with that.
Today’s a good day to decide that you’re not going to let anyone else tell your story any longer.
“You cannot have a positive life and a negative mind.”
Joyce Meyer
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