Aquarius encourages us to live our lives with authenticity and embody our unique expression of the Divine spark without apology. That means accepting ourselves with all of our quirks and eccentricities, and not worrying about the judgments of others. While Aquarius can help us break free from anything that gets in the way of expressing our true selves, one of the biggest obstacles to our freedom resides within. It’s the Inner Critic. You know that nagging voice that’s always pointing out your flaws, showing you where you fall short, putting you down, and judging you more harshly than anyone else. With Mars in Virgo turning retrograde this month, be aware that your Inner Critic may be especially loud and hurtful. But you don’t need to let it beat you up or stop you from expressing your true self.
In my work with a technique called Voice Dialogue Process, I’ve talked to a lot of Inner Critics. They can be mean and nasty! They know just how to make a person feel like crap. Yet, every Inner Critic starts out with good intentions. They start out wanting to help. Basically, the Inner Critic is afraid that other people might judge you, make fun of you, disrespect you, or reject you. So, it steps in to judge you first. It tries to keep you in line, through constant condemnation. It says that if you would just listen to its raucous demands maybe you could eventually be “good enough”, “smart enough”, “strong enough”, “successful enough”, etc, etc. The Inner Critic warps the Virgoan desire for discernment and self-improvement into self-judgment and relentless perfectionism.
So, how can you transform your Inner Critic? Voice Dialogue provides a powerful process that helps you get past the insults and critical jabs so you can reach the Inner Critic’s heart. When you can embrace your Inner Critic, you regain your power. Now you can recognize when it’s acting up. You can gently but firmly tell it to take a break. You have the power to look directly at what your Critic is telling you, and ask yourself, “Is it true?” If what the Inner Critic says is a lie, then simply dismiss it. If what it says is true, then you might benefit from the Critic’s discerning wisdom. You may need to remind your Critic to offer it’s insights with a good dose of kindness and compassion, but if you are willing to hear her constructive feedback, the Inner Critic can become a valuable member of your inner support team.
If you want to free yourself to be yourself, you may need to forge a new relationship with your Inner Critic. That familiar inner voice may be harsh and blaring. It may dominate your thoughts and masquerade as the truth. Yet, when embraced, the Inner Critic can be transformed into a powerful ally. Leave me a comment, and let me know your best strategies for dealing with your Inner Critic, when it’s on a rampage.