We’ve all heard the voice of the Inner Critic-that part of us that judges us, shames us, and makes us feel inadequate. We can’t silence the Inner Critic by fighting it or giving in to its demands. But there is a way to transform it in to an invaluable ally.

Self-esteem is our birth right, and even the most stubborn Inner Critic can be recast as a fierce supporter.

When you feel ashamed, hopeless, inadequate, or just plain awful about yourself, is because your Inner Critic is attacking you. The Inner Critic does this in a variety of ways, but most commonly, it works by hammering you with negative messages about your self-worth. It may criticize your looks, your work habits, your intelligence, the way you care for others, or any number of other things.

It may:

• Evaluate and judge your feelings and behaviour and sometimes your core self.
  Tell you what you should and shouldn’t do.
• Criticize you for not meeting its expectations or the expectations of people who are important to you.
• Doubt you and tell you that you can’t be successful.
• Shame you for who you are.
• Make you feel guilty about things you have done.

Most people have a number of self-judging Inner Critic parts. For example, you might have one Critic that attacks you for how you overeat and how much you weigh, and another Critic that tells you that you’re lazy and should be working harder.

The Seven Types of Inner Critics 

We have identified seven types of Critics:

1. The Perfectionist
2. The Inner Controller
3. The Taskmaster
4. The Underminer
5. The Destroyer
6. The Guilt Tripper
7. The Moulder

Each type of Critic has a different motivation and strategy, and identifying which Critics are affecting us
can be useful. The next step is to understand what they protecting.

With this understanding THIS IS YOUR LIFE, YOUR JOURNEY, AND YOUR CHOICES. OWN IT!

Luis Carvalho