Befriend your inner critic

I don’t believe in such a thing as life hacks. What I’ve seen in my clients and my own life is that what matters most has no shortcuts. You have to live and be present for all the ups and downs of life to develop depth and substance.

That said learning to befriend your inner critic is one of the best hacks on the journey of personal and spiritual growth. Trying to get rid of or fixing your inner critic can create decades of misery as well as stunt your growth. Although befriending your inner critic is easier said than done, it remains a lot easier than constantly living in the hell created by believing your inner critic.

Remember you are not the creator or your inner critic and neither are you the inner critic. It is a visitor inside of your conscious experience. Most of the brain patterns of your inner critic has already formed by the age of 3. These interpretive patterns are deeply engrained in your brain and cannot be changed by just thinking happy and positive thoughts. And important it is of no fault of your own that you are battling with these critical thoughts. So you can also let go of that layer of self-judgment. Befriending your inner-critic is counter-intuitive and in my experience most productive and sustainable in the long run. There is nothing to achieve here and neither a correct ideal image to strive after.

You have two choices: You believe your inner critic and create and live in a mental prison, or you start befriending it and the stronghold it has on your life starts to loosen up. Not believing it, fighting it, attempting to fix it, denying it or wishing it away. Just giving it breathing space as you relax into the knowledge that your inner critic doesn’t reflect who you are. It is just a voice in your head that you don’t have to believe and a voice that is no fault of your own.

Enjoy your new friendship!

Lots of love,

Renier