Inner Critic folly is those unquestioned and erroneous limiting beliefs you have about yourself that place limitations on your abilities. They may be conscious or unconscious. In other words, you often hold these assumptions you've made about yourself (and what is possible for you) far below the level of your everyday awareness. You are often unconscious to the fact that these beliefs are what guide your decisions and motivations.
Copyright (c) 2009 Valery Satterwhite
"Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark." - Zen saying
Have you heard anyone say,
"It is better to give than to receive."
"Rich People are (all negative attributes assigned to rich people."
"I'm not smart enough."
"I'm not loveable."
"I'm not good enough."
"I'll be humiliated if I fail."
"You have to work hard to be successful."
"I'm not rich enough."
"I don't deserve."
"Things never work out for me."?
If any of these statements ring true for you, it may be time to take your destiny into your own hands by dissolving the Inner Critic beliefs that sabotage your success and happiness. One clue that you might have given your personal power to your Inner Critic and who is holding you back in a particular area is the simple fact that you are having trouble making progress there.
Inner Critic Folly - What is It?
Inner Critic folly is those unquestioned and erroneous limiting beliefs you have about yourself that place limitations on your abilities. They may be conscious or unconscious. In other words, you often hold these assumptions you've made about yourself (and what is possible for you) far below the level of your everyday awareness. You are often unconscious to the fact that these beliefs are what guide your decisions and motivations.
Your thoughts and beliefs color your vision and perception of the world. They determine your actions or in-actions. Thoughts create feelings. Feelings create behavior. Behavior creates results (or the lack of them). It all begins with your thoughts that are based on what you believe. To achieve what you want in life you need to become aware of the beliefs that limit you and take away your personal power. You must remove the power these Inner Critic beliefs have over you and replace them with beliefs that support you in moving forward successfully. You must return your power to the magical Wizard within. This internal alchemist knows your truth and will always guide you forward to turn your dreams into reality.
How to turn Inner Critic Folly into Wizard Within Power
The good news is there is a way to transform Inner Critic folly into Wizard Within Wisdom! You don't have to eliminate your Inner Critic, just take away its power to make your choices in life. Here is a simple exercise to use when your Inner Critic, your negative self-talk, tells you something that 'stops' or 'blocks' you from moving forward:
Ask yourself, when you hear your Inner Critic and have a negative thought about yourself or someone else: e.g "I don't do anything right."
Is that statement an absolutely TRUE statement?
How does that thought make me feel? Good or Stressed?
Can you think of one good reason to keep that thought?
Who would you BE if you did not have that thought?
Who would you be with the other person? (if someone else is involved)
Now write the OPPOSITE of the old thought (i.e I do a lot of things right! Look for evidence of the new thought.
For example, you did a lot of things right just to get to work today!
Which statement is more true, the old one or the new one?
What thought would make me feel better?
Which thought do I now choose to have in my life?
How can I start to act in a way that supports my new belief about myself?
You'll discover that the limiting belief you held as your truth was not, in fact, true! Your Inner Critic was misguided and foolish. You can now replace that old critical belief with the new and supportive belief of a powerful Wizard Within.
Stuck in a Rut? Stop Dragging the Reluctant
Are you stuck in a rut? Procrastinating? Finding excuses and reasons why you can't have what you want? If you answered yes to any of those questions then you are spending your days dragging The Reluctant along. Sometimes the reluctant weighs so heavy upon you that you can't move forward at all, so you're stuck, right where you are, unable to achieve much of anything.
Relationships: A Mirrored Reflection of You
You have a lot of personal and professional relationships in life. Some relationships are loving, satisfying, uplifting, supportive and enrich your life experience. Other relationships are tense, adversarial, problematic, strained, and exhausting. You don't like, or avoid, spending time with the people who drain your life energy. The funny thing is that all of your relationships, good and bad, are a reflection of you!
The Intuitive Mind: Albert Einstein Quote
The intuitive mind is the Wizard Within. It is the voice of your intuition and inspiration. The rational mind is that of the Inner Critic - the voice of your self-doubt and fear. The Wizard Within makes choices and takes action based on gut instinct and creative inspiration. The Inner Critic makes choices and takes action based on fear of failure, fear of success, fear of rejection, fear of humiliation, and fear of change.
