If I were to tell you I have 55 draft posts in my drafts section, would you believe me?

55 posts which started as an idea, a seed, something profound but left at the bottom of the pile because something within me said, “Mm, I don’t think it’s good enough.”

Today, I’m talking about silencing your inner critic.

Believe it or not, the majority of time it’s you who blocks your own success. Not the circumstances around you, but that little voice inside your head which tells you that you’re not good enough, and that it’s not gonna work out, and that you’re wasting your time. Your inner critic.

Now for some of us, we’ve allowed that critic to settle and make a lovely home inside our heads. We’ve even accommodated for their every need. We feed into them, allowing them to grow. In fact, we actually given them a microphone, as if it wasn’t loud enough in the first place.

A lot of the time, yes, disappointment happens on the external, and things around us can affect the way we look at things. Maybe you wanted to start that Youtube channel but nobody seemed to engage. You started up yet another business, but it’s seeming to fail, again. Or maybe even someone you love said negative things referring to what you’re trying to achieve, now the critic is coming in the voice of your mother, brother or friend.

I won’t lift my hand up and say that I’ve got all the answers, and got the exact way of eliminating self-doubt, or that critic. But I listened to a therapist on youtube talking about how you should treat yourself like your best friend. If someone was telling your best friend “You’ll never amount to anything”, or “Your blog will never be good enough”, or “It’s gonna fail again”, you wouldn’t accept that. So why do we accept that for ourselves? Yes things don’t always work out, sometimes through fault of our own, sometimes through the fault of things just going wrong in life, things you can’t control.

But realise that you can only control what’s in your control. Meaning that, your thoughts, you are more than just the sum of your worst thoughts. If it means having people around you to help you and encourage you when you need it, then so be it! Often we’re surrounded by people who just sing the same chorous as the negative voice in our head. But having people who are encouraging (not enabling – i.e. who can help you improve), and not criticise but help.

What is that voice saying? And for every negative word that seems to whisper to you, throw something back at it.

For example: “I can never raise those kids.” Counter it with “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me”.

What are you professing out of your mouth? If you’re often telling yourself outloud that you’re not gonna amount to anything, you’re gonna fail etc., you’re allowing that critic to have power. But instead continue to profess good things, have good and positive affirmations. DAILY.

I have a problem with thinking my work isn’t good enough. So maybe I have to get a second opinion. Or a third opinion and edit that way. Sometimes I listen to what that voice is saying, and turn it into something constructive. So, I don’t think that post was great? Why don’t I think so? What can I do to improve? What steps can I take? So on and so forth!

It’s not always easy, and believe me it’s not something that happens straight away, but today make the decision to be brave, to venture out. To release that music that you’ve been hiding away, or that job, share that business idea, or that book. Don’t allow yourself to be a blockage in your own blessings !

I hope you have had a fantastic week.

If this is something that has ever bothered you in the past, share in the comments how you’ve learnt to overcome your inner critic? I’d love to hear your story.

God bless x

Peace, joy & love

TK