The more you push against the critical voice in the head, the louder it gets
Find out what the counterintuitive way of calming the critical voice in the head is.
One idea to contemplate
Rebelling against the voice in the head, trying to silence it, or following it blindly only makes it scream louder. That inner voice is the voice of a fearful child. All it wants is to be heard. When you let it speak and just listen to it from unconditional love, it relaxes and quietens down.
Two questions for you
If a child came crying to you, how would you make them feel safe? What would it be like to treat the voice in the head in the same way?
An experiment to try
The way you relate to the voice in the head, changes how the voice in the head speaks to you. One of my favourite ways of being with the critical voice is to agree with everything it says. For example:
The voice: “You messed this up.”
Me: “You are right. I could have done better.”
The voice: “You need to be more productive.”
Me: “You are right. I can see how this could be true.”
For the next couple of days, instead of defending against what the voice says, agree with all of its attacks. And see what this does to your inner spaciousness and freedom, your level of stress, and the energy and aliveness you feel in your life.
Quote to ponder
“Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, social activist and Baptist minister
What’s on my mind
I’m running an experiment this week where instead of following a rigid schedule, I follow my energy and inner impulse of what wants to come through me. I’m curious how this will affect my productivity and the quality of my work. I’m already experiencing the benefits in terms of deeper creativity, joy and aliveness.
Cover photo by visuals on Unsplash