How often do you find yourself stuck in negative self-talk? It can be all too easy to only find the worst in ourselves, feeding a sense of anxiety and/or a need for people pleasing. Most of us would choose not to fall prey to these snares that lure us in, but find ourselves in that pit of despair time and time again.
I’d love to introduce you to an activity that I’ve done with several of my clients that starts that journey towards battling this cycle of negative self-talk. During the following exercise, you get to more objectively look at this part of yourself, your inner critic, from an outsider’s perspective and then introduce its counterforce, your inner muse.
Characterize your inner critic – that voice that tends to denigrate you.
What form does it take? What is its name? What does it tend to say? When did it first show up in your life? What times does it tend to speak up the most? What purpose has it served?
Characterize your inner muse – source of your confidence, self-compassion, and creativity.
What form does it take? What is its name? What does it tend to say? When did it first show up in your life? What times does it tend to speak up the most? What purpose has it served?
It’s helpful to draw these characters out on a piece of paper, allowing you to visualize and externalize them. As you begin to view them as separate from yourself, you can take on a more analytical perspective of them. From there, you decide how you will choose to control them instead of allowing them to control you.
Do you want to see more of your inner muse shine? Great! Be intentional about partaking in the activities that you know are likely to bring out that part of you. Are you starting to recognize when your inner critic starts to nag at your latest accomplishment? Awesome! Thank them for the drive to be better and choose to speak the facts into the moment.
There’s a time and a place for our inner critics, but you should be the one calling the shots on when they get to make an appearance.
