worst critic
 

Throughout this year, I have been pretty hard on myself. Always telling myself what I should be doing. How I should be doing it, and never really taking into the account of the limitations that are temporarily set up on.  It turns out that we are our own worts enemies, and the critic that we need to watch out for, is ourselves!  Here are just a few things that have been going through my mind, and what I’m doing to silence my own worst critic.

Self Critic Self

Here are a few examples that have been running though my mind:

Photography — Self Critic (SCS) You know you should be taking pictures more. What’s the point of getting a great camera if you’re not enjoying it. What exactly are you doing instead?

Working out (SCS) Why don’t you have time to work out? You know you need to lose some more weight in order to get back to your pre-preganancy weight. You’ll never get it done.

Teaching (SCS) You know you don’t have a degree in education to get home school your daughter. Hopefully you’re not messing her up and destroying her chance at education.

The reality is: we are our own worst critic.

No matter what we do, or say, we have this tiny person in the back of our heads that just tells us what it is we can’t do, and how we can’t succeed.

That nagging voice in the back of our heads will stop us from being our best, and doing our best. It doesn’t take into account what’s going on in your life currently, all it wants to do is tear you down one nagging voice at a time.

When you finally get a chance to really think about it, you understand why you were not able to do what it is you wanted to do.

That same critical brain would stop you from working out, from taking pictures, from doing the things you love to do because it’s “too hard.” The same brain would make you feel guilty for not taking more pictures, for trying to find the time to workout, to have you lose self-confidence.

Unlocking the Compassionate Self-Awareness

 

The only way I can see to combat the inner self critic is to have compassionate self-awareness (CSA) with oneself.

Photography (CSA) You have not had a chance to work on your photography because you were raising a newborn. Yes, you’ll get back to it, as you notice that he’s getting more independent. No need to beat yourself up over it. Besides, you may not take out the heavy-duty camera all the time, but you take pictures all the time with your phone. Remember, the best camera is the one that’s with you.

Working out (CSA) What are you saying to yourself? You work out all the time. No, it may not be in the traditional sense of the gym and running, but you are doing heavy work around the house everyday, and the only time you are off your feet is when you go to sleep. Don’t beat yourself up. Not everyone can block off huge chunks of time. Things will pick up for you soon, you just need patience.

Teaching (CSA) This is the first time you are teaching your daughter formerly of course you are going to have doubts. But you take those doubts and shake them off. No one knows your child better than you. No one understands her better than you, and there is no greater teacher than her own parents. You don’t have to go to school to teach, teaching comes from the passion of learning.

Here are just some ways I deal with my inner critic. Everyday is a work in progress, but it sure beats putting myself down for no real reason.

How do you deal with your critical self?

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