Your inner critic, that’s who.
And if you’re like most people, you’ve got a whole regiment of critics installed in your head, all armed with their own special sort of tomato.
There’s the Slavedriver: you’ll never work hard enough to succeed.
The Perfectionist: no matter how hard you work, it will never be good enough.
The Martyr: you have to put everyone else’s needs first, or you’re a Bad Person.
The Ghost: it’s soooo not safe to be seen!
The Professor: unless you know All The Things, you can’t possibly be a professional in your field.
And so on.
How do you talk to yourself?
What rotten tomatoes are flying in your head?
What are you dreaming about doing, but your Inner Critics keep talking you out of it?
Are there goals you’ve set for yourself, visions of your future you’ve imagined, but you can’t gain momentum … because your Inner Critics are holding you back?
Start by identifying the cast of characters
It’s easy to label it all as the Inner Critic, but it’s really much more than that. It’s a host of voices, a chorus, if you will (although they definitely sing off-key!).
Who’s in your regiment of rotten-tomato-throwing Inner Critics? What is each one’s role? The tomatoes they throw have their own special look, feel, and flavor. Name them. Write it down.
It’s not fun to do this exploration, but it’s an important first step.
As the old saying goes, you’ve got to see it to heal it.
Next post, the next step – click here