by Sandy Grason
You may have heard me say “your Inner Wisdom whispers and your Inner Critic yells”. What I mean by this is when I first heard the whisper of my Inner Wisdom it said “write a book”, but immediately my Inner Critic piped in and said;
“You can't do that, who do you think you are? Who wants to read your book? What are you going to write about? Who really cares what you want to write about? Everybody wants to write a book, what makes you so special?”
That's just a tiny, tiny snippet of what my Inner Critic was yelling in my ear. I often joke that my Inner Critic is very mean, she says things like “You suck!”
I wish I could tell you that I've conquered my Inner Critic, stomped her out, smashed her with my powerful-Rock Star-Hot Mogul-ness. I hate to report that she is alive and well and she usually is loudest when I'm standing in the wings getting ready to head on stage, the person introducing me is reading my fabulous bio, listing all the wonderful things I've accomplished, blah, blah, blah.... all I hear is “If they could have seen you having a meltdown in the parking lot with your kids last week, oh they would be REALLY impressed...”
I'm not sure you ever really get rid of your Inner Critic, but I have found ways to turn up the volume of my Inner Wisdom and to live my life from the guidance of my Inner Wisdom rather than from the fear of my Inner Critic. I can also happily report that I no longer allow my Inner Critic to stop me from pursuing things I really want to do.
Yes, she still says things like “What will other people think? You don't know what you are doing, what if you make a fool of yourself?” And my personal favorite “You're doing it wrong.” Fortunately, even if I might be “doing it wrong” I'm committed to do it wrong with style and in the biggest way possible. :-D
Here my tips to turn up the volume on your Inner Wisdom and start living your most magnificent life:
1. Be Willing to Suck. As I mentioned, my Inner Critic likes to tell me that I'm doing “it” wrong. It doesn't matter what it is, there's that critical voice, always chiming in, judging everything, looking for the problem or the reasons why I'll never be able to succeed. I got a note from a reader recently telling me the story of her sister who finally, finally finished her screenplay. When she asked her sister how she managed to accomplish this her sister replied “I was willing to suck at it!” That's the game your Inner Critic plays, judging you harshly until you just give up rather than doing something that is less than perfect. So go ahead! Be willing to Suck! It will change your life!
2. Shut Your Mouth. And your phone, your television, your radio off for a little while. Be quiet for at least 10 minutes every day. You don't have to DO anything during this time. Reconnect with yourself. It's hard to hear your Inner Wisdom when you've got lots of other voices competing for air time in your head. Shut everything off and just sit quietly. Or listen to some favorite music. Go outside and put your feet in the sand or the grass (or the snow?). Stare at the sky, move clouds with your mind, rock in a rocking chair, swing on a swing. Do this everyday for 10 minutes. Watch the magic unfold.
3. Follow Your Fun. I'm a firm believer that our Inner Wisdom sends us messages in the form of FUN. If you are having fun you are connected to your Inner Wisdom. When you are excited and passionate about a project, there is an energy you are tapping into that is connected to all of life. You are more connected to others and to your own “flow”. I know there are always tasks and projects that are waiting on you and they might not seem like much fun, but make sure you are building in a bit of the Fun Factor into every single day. Your Inner Wisdom can be silly as well as wise- go find some FUN today!
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