| The inner critic is that voice inside your head that tells | | | | will be so bored that they'll fall asleep and snore |
| you that you aren't good enough, smart enough, | | | | through the speech? We'll forget what we were going |
| talented enough, pretty enough, or strong enough. It | | | | to say and just stand there with a blank look on our |
| nags and natters at you to the point that your self | | | | face? To stand up and speak one's mind is the |
| confidence and sense of bravery is destroyed. You | | | | ultimate test of self confidence. Do you really truly |
| are convinced that the voice is correct and that you | | | | believe in yourself, your knowledge of the subject |
| really don't have what it takes to live out your wildest | | | | matter, your ability to form words and sentences that |
| dreams. As time goes on, you quit setting meaningful | | | | make sense to the audience? |
| goals. You become resigned to a life of mediocrity and | | | | I can relate completely to this fear, but what I have to |
| dullness. | | | | do is look realistically at myself from a third party |
| The inner critic typically begins during childhood. | | | | objective viewpoint. I hear my own inner critic worrying |
| Unfortunately most of us have had parents, siblings, | | | | that I'm going to make a fool of myself on stage |
| teachers, friends, and enemies tell us that we aren't | | | | because I'll forget what I'm going to say. The truth is, I |
| good enough. They laughed in your face when you | | | | have a gift of gab. I'm a talkaholic. I have no historical |
| told them your childhood dreams. It's not always said | | | | evidence of forgetting what I was going to say. Quite |
| directly to our face. Sometimes it's a subtle | | | | the contrary, I typically add so much more than I had |
| undercurrent. Maybe you lived in the shadow of a | | | | originally planned on saying. If I'm honest in my |
| perfect older brother and your folks forgot to cheer on | | | | evaluation of myself then I'd realize that I have so |
| your successes too. Maybe your folks did everything | | | | much information, opinions, and stories that even if I do |
| for you as if you weren't capable of doing anything for | | | | forget what I was going to say, I could 'wing it.' |
| yourself. Maybe you lived under the rule of a | | | | Everything I do comes back to trying to teach people |
| perfectionist, so everything you did was critiqued with | | | | how to be happy. I'll find my way back to that goal |
| a cold critical eye and never quite cut the mustard. | | | | even if I ever did forget. So, in a logical analysis, I would |
| However it starts, the inner critic gathers proof that it is | | | | have to say that it's an invalid fear. There's no reason |
| doing the right thing by protecting you from making | | | | at all to listen to my own inner critic when it's nagging |
| foolish leaps of faith. It will find proof of your lack and | | | | at me not to get up on stage to speak. For me, there |
| inability to shine. Every time you give up and quit, the | | | | is no real danger involved. It would be a shame if I let |
| inner critic files that away in it's memory as proof yet | | | | an invalid fear stop me from doing what I love most, |
| again of your smallness. Years and years of layers of | | | | reaching out and helping people to make positive |
| proof and validation coupled with the lack of a strong | | | | changes in themselves. |
| support system of cheerleaders strengthens the inner | | | | You may decide that your inner critic is telling the truth, |
| critic until it overpowers your own sense of drive and | | | | you really aren't capable of doing what you've set out |
| purpose. Your fears now rule your life. | | | | to do. You want to own a restaurant but you're afraid |
| Critics are not necessarily bad. They analyze and | | | | of failing. Upon evaluation you come to realize that you |
| report back the results of their critique. The inner critic | | | | don't know anything about running a business or even |
| believes that he is protecting you. It's his job to keep | | | | cooking for that matter. Okay great, so get lessons. |
| you from doing harmful or foolish things. In the | | | | Educate yourself, make solving the fears your first |
| caveman days, he would have told you that you | | | | steps. Just because you don't have all of the tools |
| couldn't outrun the lion so you'd best leave it alone. He | | | | today doesn't mean that you're never ever going to be |
| would have told you not to try jumping off of that cliff | | | | able to succeed. |
| because you don't have wings like a bird so you're not | | | | Your inner critic makes an evaluation about you based |
| going to be able to fly. The inner critic is supposed to | | | | on mental programs and beliefs that has been fed into |
| analyze your talents, traits, and abilities and then | | | | it over the course of your life. If you have a history of |
| determine whether or not you've got what it takes to | | | | support and success, then your inner critic is probably |
| accomplish whatever whim you're entertaining. At an | | | | balanced and logical. If you have a history of being |
| enlightened balanced level he keeps you safe and out | | | | ridiculed and of failure, then your inner critic is probably |
| of trouble. In overdrive, he immobilizes you and keeps | | | | doing its best to save you from any further pain. You |
| you from doing much of anything interesting and | | | | are so much more than your inner critic's opinion of |
| adventurous. | | | | you. You are forever capable of growing, learning, |
| Look at the most common phobia in America - public | | | | training, expanding, and contributing your unique |
| speaking. Now seriously, this is feared more than dying! | | | | beautiful self. Don't let your inner critic keep you from |
| How can that be? What is it we're afraid of? People | | | | giving your gift to the world. |
| will laugh at us? People will think we're stupid? People | | | | |