Everybody has an Inner Critic. Some, like me, have more than one. Here's My Inner Critic Mic, as he looked when we met in 2001. On my journal writing* excavations, I’ve unearthed Mic’s extensive Band of Wary Men. I really created an academy award winner!
Our inner critical voice got started in our childhood. We created our critics to be our protectors but things got all mixed up and complicated because we innocently internalized way too many situations as being our fault. Those crazycrap messages never got digested properly but stuck in our cells and have been festering in our bodies ever since.
We also have a Good (and Wise) Inner Voice that has our best interest at heart. How we respond to our Good Inner Voice determines how we feel. When we don’t listen we feel bad. When we follow its lead faithfully and fearlessly we feel good and plentiful. At times, it seems doubtful or impossible to believe our Good Inner Voice resides within us. It does. It's been with us since day one. We just need to spend a lot of time with our journal to repair the damage we’ve done to ourselves, eliminate the chattering and begin to live our truth.
Maybe you can see a bit of yourself in my story about my early years with Mic:
Managing MIC
When my bosses asked me (again!) to forego the job transfer I wanted and stay where "they really needed me", I quit. No job. No plan.
But what now? Why, time to clean house of course. In going through my childhood memorabilia box I refound my best friend Dear Diary (DD). She had always listened and helped me figure out things. We celebrated our reconnection by purchasing our favorite Staples golden tablets. Just like old times. Me grumbling, moaning and dumping questions: "What's to become of me? What am I to do with my life?"
Instead of predictably sitting there taking my abuse, DD answered back.
"Well, you could always write," she said. Read More...
Stay tuned for future installments of “Managing Mic”. I promise adventures, chills, spills, romance and a happy ending!
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*My journal writing pointed me to Emily Hanlon’s book, The Art of Fiction Writing which helped me name and frame this dis-ease so I could start working on a cure.