Silencing Your Inner Critic: When Your Higher Self Finds It's Voice

An important thing happened when I was taking my Integrative Health Coaching Professional Training at Duke University.  My inner critic got a visual image (which I drew, and she is awesome), a name (Fly Lady), and she got an OBSERVER!  Yahoo!  A referee finally showed up to run interference on my behalf during the quarrel between fear and love that takes place in my mind.  In other words, for the first time, my inner critic had an active observer who could call her on the BS. 

Not silencing the inner critic looks like staying in a bad marriage because "divorce is wrong, and you'll damage the kids"  saying yes to every community, school, or work event because "a good person would contribute," not putting yourself out there because "you're not good enough, or you'll screw up," never taking care of your own needs because "a good mom would never put herself first," staying up all hours of the night taking care of household responsibilities because "it is a woman's work," not working out because "that would be selfish," and many other self-defeating behaviors.

We are able to silence the inner critic by cultivating the voice of it's loving observer.  The observer has an agenda that is pure.  The observer is our defender.  She is our partner in crime when it comes to living an authentic life and being fulfilled rather than deprived.  A powerful tool to amplify this loving voice is practicing mindfulness and meditation.  Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose to the present moment without judgement. And meditation is a formal practice of mindfulness. There are many different forms of meditation.  One type of meditation that can be very helpful in silencing the inner critic is the practice of loving kindness meditation.  Another way to develop your loving observer is by saying positive affirmations. An example of a positive affirmation that would be helpful in cultivating the voice of your higher self is, "I am worthy of love and I make choices in life that align with my highest good."  When we practice saying affirmations daily our thought patterns begin to change.  Other stress-reducing activities like exercising and communicating openly with others who have our best interests at heart can also be beneficial. 

So if you are ready to silence your inner critic, it is time for your higher self to step up to the plate and start calling the fouls.  Utilize these tools and when your higher self finds her voice the conversations in your head will take on a different tone, and your life will change.