Releasing the Power of the Inner Critic
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This Girl is on Fire!
I could hear Alicia Keys’ ♫♪♬ voice in my mind. Standing up on that table with my black kicky boots in a warrior stance, my arms jabbing at the ceiling and with my voice unwavering — for just a second — I had successfully F@CKED OFF my Inner Critic at the behest of my coach with my fellow class attendees as witnesses.
Not my usual style, yet strangely cleansing.
Precisely the reason why Sarita Chawla, our coach and senior faculty leader, had chosen this particular exercise for me. Putting me in my Un-Comfort Zone was a way to “out” my Inner Critic who had become too comfortable in my mind and psyche.
The Inner Critic Is Not Your Friend; No Matter What You Think!
Perhaps you are thinking that you don’t need to get into the uncomfortableness of your Un-Comfort Zone because you can make peace with your Inner Critic. You can quiet it down, live with it, even use it for your own betterment. You may be thinking you wouldn’t be as good without its promptings.
Don’t Be Fooled! The Inner Critic is NOT Your Friend
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Banish those insidious thoughts — that’s your Inner Critic speaking!
What we saw, felt and heard in the New Ventures West’s “Thwarting the Inner Critic” class was this:
- “The Inner Critic causes you to sacrifice freedom for safety.”
- “The Inner Critic usurps your own essential strength and uses it against you.”
- “The Inner Critic dampens your aliveness (the true you vs. who the Inner Critic thinks you should be).”
- “The Inner Critic syphons your energy.”
- “The Inner Critic super glues you to your seat!”
Those observations prompted this tantalizing thought from David Kinsman, fellow coach and attendee:
“We need to meet the world in a different way”.
I take this to mean…
Eradicate Your Inner Critic Now!
And you can begin the eradication with these 3 exercises from the “Thwarting the Inner Critic” class. Continue Reading…