From the course: Banish Your Inner Critic to Unleash Creativity

Recognize your inner critic

From the course: Banish Your Inner Critic to Unleash Creativity

Recognize your inner critic

“

- Based on the research that I've done, plus a lot of personal experience in the field, I can tell you that the inner critic comes from the combination of three things. First, is the fears that we have about ourselves. That is, the things that we're afraid are true about ourselves. Next, is the negative things that we've heard from other people. And last, are the negative messages that society tells us about ourselves, particularly in relationship to other people. Here's how it works. The inner critic is born from the fears that we have about ourselves that are triggered, exacerbated and strengthened by the negative things that we hear from other people. When people in positions of authority, parents, teachers, siblings, especially in our early years, but also bosses, managers and others say something negative to us, these strong messages go directly into our minds and psyches, and they stick. But the inner critic doesn't only come from people who are close to us. It also develops from messages drawn from a larger societal context. If you grow up in an environment that doesn't support who you are in some way, shape or form, then there's also a good chance that you're going to have a really strong inner critic because of this. Now let's figure out how your personal version of the inner critic shows up. Here's a technique to recognize your own inner critical thoughts. Just finish these sentences. I'm not "blank" enough. Or, I cant "blank" because I'm not as "blank" as others. I shouldn't "blank" because I haven't "blank". I "blank" because my ideas "blank". You can fill in the blanks however you want. There are no wrong answers. I guarantee that once you fill those in though, you'll absolutely start hearing and getting in touch with your inner critical voice. Can you see now how harmful the inner critic can be? And not just to yours sense of self, but also how you perform at work and correspondingly in your career? Now that we're starting to recognize the voice of your inner critic, let's learn what we need to do to silence it long-term.

Contents