silencing the inner critic

“They’ll think it’s stupid.” – That’s what my inner critic always says. Simple, effective, always makes me doubt myself, often makes me give up.
 
I used to listen to my inner critic a lot. It kept me safe from failure, embarrassment, maybe even potential shame. But it also kept me small. It kept me in a job I hated, it made me anxious, and it stopped me being honest with myself about what I really wanted.
 
Through my work with my clients the inner critic often rears its head as a barrier to where they want to be.

The inner critic says things like…

"If you can't do it perfectly, you shouldn't do it at all."
"Everyone else seems to have it all together. What's wrong with you?"
"If you make a mistake, everyone will think less of you."
"You’ll never be as successful/smart/talented as [someone else]."
"You’re so stupid for thinking you could do this."
"You’re not good enough."
“You need to be more qualified before you think about that.”

It’s brutal, but we hear it like it’s our own voice. And so we believe it. But who's voice is it? 
 
I neglected to ask my inner critic two simple questions… Who’s ‘they’?, and what specifically will they think is stupid?
 
So I ask you… if you can’t do it perfectly, shouldn’t you do it? Does everyone else have it together? Will people really think less of you for making a mistake? Or will they think more of you for trying, for being brave? Why won’t you be as successful? You’re not stupid!! Do you need to be more qualified? And I promise you, you are good enough. You are enough.

Think about it...
 
Please be kind to yourself. Have a good week.