FIGHTING THE INNER JUDGE FOR TRUE HAPPINESS
Last week we discussed the power and beauty in slow progress. And while we discussed how things like Facebook and a “want it now” mentality can greatly influence our desires for immediate results, there is one other influencer that can hinder our progress and make us feel as though we should reach our goals faster. That influence is the inner judge that tells us we aren’t worthy.
This voice judges our actions, our dreams, and our deepest desires. It counters them by telling us that we aren’t good enough. This is the voice of fear, envy, and self-loathing. It is the judge that sees our progress towards our goals and tells us we aren’t getting there fast enough. It tells us that because we aren’t where we think we should be -we must not be good at it, we are failures, and worst of all, that we are undeserving of reaching our dreams and of having success. This is also the voice that critiques others and immediately begins comparing them to ourselves. It is these thoughts that stop us from moving through the beauty of slow progress and hold us back from true happiness. Our inner judge hinders us from self-love, from chasing our dreams and from reaching our goals.
So how do we move past this inner judge? How do we see our true beauty and maintain the passion for chasing our dreams? How do we fight this inner judge to find true happiness?
Change Your Focus
Thought is a powerful thing (it is the thought of our inner judge that brought us here, to begin with) and by changing your focus and seeking out the good in yourself, you can begin to see just how beautiful you truly are. Start by finding something you love about yourself and build off of that. Studies have found that by changing your focus (to the good in your life and about yourself) you can begin to build a life of positivity and happiness.
Treat Your Emotions For What They Are
We tend to suppress what our emotions really mean; creating a cycle of them staying with us and continuing to haunt us. One way to negate our negative inner voice is to see what these emotions really mean. This allows us to move through them and focus on reaching our goals instead.
Fear is not trusting enough in life, others, or yourself. Fear keeps you from trusting too deeply that something good can happen and that you are undeserving of success. Once you realize your inner judge is telling you not to trust, you can acknowledge those feelings and try to trust in yourself, a higher being, Karma or whatever your preference is. Good and bad things happen but unless you trust that you deserve to have good things in your life, you can never truly explore your passions and goals.
Stand Tall
Research has shown that sitting up straight, standing with your shoulders back, and having good posture can actually trick your mind into improving your mood. So why wouldn’t it work for silencing your inner critic? The next time you begin feeling low about yourself check how you are sitting. Are you slumped over, shoulders rounded, head down? If so, try sitting up straight for 2 minutes. See how that changes your mindset and makes you feel more confident.
Fighting the Inner Judge For True Happiness
It can be hard to silence our inner judge but only when you gain the courage to walk confidently towards your desires, can you experience happiness and fulfillment. It can be an everyday battle but getting out of your own way can open more doors than you’d ever imagine. So tell that inner judge to SHOVE IT! You are worthy of success and you deserve to reach your dreams.
What techniques have you used to quiet your inner critic? How has fighting your inner judge lead to your own happiness? I would love to hear your stories and I’m sure our other readers would love to learn from your successes (by the way, I don’t believe in failure so even if you tried something and it didn’t work, share it so we all can learn together).