Meet your Inner Critic
Hi there!
I hope you are having a good week 🙂
This week I wanted to give you a peek into what we are talking about in the Dare to Dream Membership Community!
We have been meeting our inner critics!
So who is this inner critic and do you have one? Let's find out shall we?
Think of something that you really want in life - it could be a dream job, a promotion, a pay rise, to quit your job and do something completely different or to take a year off and go travelling - anything!
And then notice what thoughts immediately come to mind when you think about that desire.
Here's my example from when I was thinking about leaving the corporate world and starting my own business:
My dream was…to leave my job and start my own business…and the thoughts that came to mind when I thought about it were:
That’s too risky!...how will you pay rent without a steady salary?..what if it fails?....what will my family think?...I have no experience in running a business…it’s safer just to stay where I am…
How about you? What thoughts did you have?
Pause here and take a few minutes to think about it or journal about it...
Welcome back.
Chances are you also had some of these thoughts when thinking about a dream that is really big. In fact, the bigger the dream, the louder the thoughts.
The good news? It's normal! AND that voice in your head is not actually you.
It's usually a combination of people and/or experiences from your past - a parent, a teacher, an ex-boss, a partner, even your younger self. And that voice is trying to keep you safe from potential harm because change, in its opinion, is risky. The brain doesn't like change, it likes comfort and stability so it will do whatever it takes to keep you just where you are.
So, what can you do about it?
Well, here are some tips to working with your inner critic. It's not about silencing her, it's about understanding why she is there and how to manage her so she doesn't get in our way.
Recognise the narrative in your mind is your inner critic and not real truths.
Remember that it is your hardwired safety system in your brain trying to keep you safe, even though you are not in any real danger.
Be prepared to question her and say "thanks but I got this"!
Have compassion for yourself. How would you treat a good friend that was having these thoughts?
Daring to Dream isn't easy. It takes courage, it takes hard work, and it takes a lot of self-discovery and perseverance.
I hope what I have shared with you today goes some way to helping you on your journey.
Reach out if you want to have a chat about your inner critic or if you are interested in finding out more about the Dare to Dream membership community where we deep dive into all this fascinating stuff!
Have a great weekend,
