It may not be evident to you right away, but you are not solely in charge of what you do. Often times, you are being held back…by that little voice in your head also know as your gremlin, or inner critic. It’s true; we all have one. I call mine “the evil twin;” it’s a play off of the fact that I was born in June so I’m a Gemini; the sign of twins. Once I named it, it had less power over me.
What does this voice have to say?
It shows up during times of decision, choice, life change or any other time you are about ready to step onto the big stage called life. Yeh, I know, that’s basically all the time. It’s the voice that tells you not to take a risk, the status quo is good enough, don’t rock the boat, play it safe, compromise and stay small. Quite frankly, this is the voice that yells you are not good enough.
Have you heard any of these statements?
- Who am I kidding?
- Who do I think I am?
- Everyone will laugh if I try that.
- Just stop trying.
- That job is too big for me.
- I can’t, I shouldn’t, I’m not smart enough.
- I’ll never ___________ (fill in the blank)
Though just a sampling, you can see how charged with emotion these statements can be. It’s difficult not to listen. It’s personal. So personal, you decide not to try for fear of: failure, being hurt, laughed at or embarrassed. So you wander through life wondering why things don’t work out for you.
It’s time to face off with your inner critic. You do that by being aware that it is happening. If you are not feeling excited by a new opportunity, challenge, adventure but want to hide or run away, your inner critic is active in your head. Once you become aware of it stop in your tracks. make a note of exactly what it is saying to you about you. Then decide on something to say to your critic whenever it shows up so you can continue to create the life you want and deserve.
The bad news is it never goes away. The good news is you can control how it impacts you. For example, I use the phrases listed below along with many others.
- “Later”
- ” Really? I’ll show you!”
- “Not this time I won’t.”
- “Save it for another time.”
This week’s challenge is to take a look at the things you have not been able to accomplish and see how many are related to that voice in your head. Why not take a chance, be bold and give them a try! And don’t forget, give the gremlin a name so it becomes only a small part of you; not your entire being!
