The Inner Critic - Flipbook - Page 23
W HAT
CHOICES DO WE HAVE ?
With the choices that follow we put aside the temptation to ght or grapple with the Inner Critic.
Instead the focus moves to trying to learn what it has to show us, to be kinder and more attentive
towards it. This takes time and patience.
A frightened cat will stay hidden in the bushes. No matter how we force and insist, it will not come out.
Working with the critic is a bit like trying to coax a timid animal. We have to be patient and kind. We
have to establish trust, and as with a cat, we have to be genuinely nonchalant, uninterested almost,
before it will come, slowly, cautiously, sidling up to us.
If we accept that the Inner Critic shows up when it perceives some kind of threat, then in this state we
have less choice and are often more reactive.
Centre is a state of being oering the possibility of a feeling of more capability and competence.
Often bringing a sense of calm, we may notice our anxiety still present, but we can let it be there but
we respond dierently. We respond from centre, not anxiety.
Learning how to access a centered presence will support us in those moments when we are in the grip
of the Inner Critic, making it easier to shift back to choiceful action. That moment perhaps when we
have something to do that shakes us to the core and there is a big loud voice telling you ‘You can’t’.
Centering reduces the grip of the trigger.
Although it is not essential for getting to know your critic, when it does get the better of you at any
point, it is a sure re way to be able to return to a state of equilibrium and regain perspective; and is a
very useful life skill.
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