I know plenty of
people who struggle with meditation. They'll say something like it doesn't
interest them, they can't sit still, or they gave it a go and it didn't work.
It might even be
true.
But for many
people, they don't like coming face-to-face with that voice inside your mind.
You know the one I mean - the one that whispers horrible things to you about
your looks, talents, successes, failures, prospects and worthiness to keep
breathing.
The sorts of things
you'd never say to another person, even your worst enemy.
It's always there,
anticipating your mistakes, just waiting for the chance to laugh at you.
So if this voice,
or the deeper well of anxiety and insecurity it comes from, won't leave you
alone, then it's time to take control.
But you don't gain
control by fighting it.
Think of this inner
critic like a neighbouring kingdom... with an enormous army. Much stronger than
yours. If you fight it head on, not only will it not work, but you'll hand it
even more real estate and power.
How would you fight
such an adversary?
With kindness and
curiosity.
Don't think of
these as soft. It takes real strength to say, with full kindness, "really?
I don't think that's true - what makes you so sure?"
Especially to
someone attacking you, and even if that someone is you.
These can give you
control over the volume... or maybe its air supply. If you're patient, you can
starve it out.
But you're right to
not want to settle for that.
After all, I bet
it's been hassling you for a long, long time. Driving it from its home - your
head - is too good for it.
It's about time it
compensated you for it.
Why shouldn't it?
Should this, the worst tenant of all time, be allowed to live anywhere
rent-free? Especially some real estate as valuable as your noggin?
Surely not.
Maybe it's time you
demand your inner critic starts paying its share. And not just paying rent from
now on, either. It owes you plenty of backpay, not to mention all the damages
it needs to cover.
There's no need to
evict it. Show it mercy, bring it into line and put it to work.
Because this voice
sure is creative. It used to have fun concocting the worst-case scenarios for
you.
So use that
creativity. Make it devise best-case scenarios instead... with a plan to get
there.
And you know it's
persistent, so use that too.
If it wants to keep
scrutinising your life, let it find the ways you're doing well. Allow it to
offer constructive suggestions for improvement.
Heck, you can put a
leash on the inner critic and walk it round the block if you want.
After all, it's
yours. No one else can tell you what to do with it, not even that voice.
Silencing it frees
up a surprising amount of mental resources. That alone makes you feel smarter,
faster, cleaner and happier. When you turn those resources to your own needs,
you feel even better.
You can begin that
simple self-improvement technique now.
And enjoy its
benefits for the rest of your life.
If you really want
to take your mind to new places? To improve more you dreamed possible?
You might want to
read about this mind training program:
Article
Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/William_T_Batten/2522089
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