Love your Inner Critic

What does your Inner Critic sound like? I’m sure you know the sound of her voice—and you probably know exactly what she will say in any given situation. Or have you silenced her?

Years ago I was told that I needed to “kill off” or get rid of my Inner Critic. Sounded pretty violent to me. But then one day I read that, instead of getting rid of her, I should get to know her. Find out what she’s all about. What does she want? Why does she do what she does?

As I got to know mine better, I discovered that she worried about me and wanted to protect me from a variety of things. I realized that what she really needed was to be loved and heard. Imagine that! Hmmmm, same thing I want and need. So now, when I hear her voice, I simply remind her that I love her and that I need for her to just chill out. I tell her that I’ll be just fine. And I listen to her to see whether there really is something I need to hear.

From critic to ally
Wondering how you “talk to” your Inner Critic? Some guided meditations will help you access her. But one easy way is to journal with both hands. Use your dominant hand for your voice and your non-dominant hand for your Inner Critic’s voice. Although it can be a challenge to read what you write with your non-dominant hand, this works—and you’ll be surprised what comes up. When you write with your non-dominant hand, you bypass your conscious mind and release information of which you weren’t aware.

Get acquainted today with your Inner Critic. She just might turn out to be your ally. Turn the negative self-talk into positive affirmations that will help you become the woman you were meant to be!