Free Printables, Monthly Motivation, Wellness

Kick your critic to the curb! Includes a free ‘You are Enough’ printable

We’ve become a society of digital consumers, bombarded with perfected images that are used to sell us goods and the dream of an ideal lifestyle. My Instagram feed is filled with stunning, curated locales, perfectly clean, wonderfully decorated homes, and happy, beautifully dressed people. And it’s inevitable that at some point I’m going to look up from my screen and see my own not-so-perfect home, or hair, or car, or whatever it is and compare my reality to those flawless images. Not surprisingly, when I make those comparisons I’ll come up short, a perspective that’s not only inaccurate but also seeps into my mindset and erodes my confidence. So, for this month’s motivation let’s talk a bit about why it’s so important to stop the comparisons, silence the inner critic, and accept ourselves for who we are.

Silence the inner critic

Your inner critic is that nitpicky voice in your head that puts you down. It tells you all the things that are supposedly wrong and/or not good enough, and when you listen to that track playing it wears you down. The thoughts you tell yourself can easily become what you believe. If you have a habit of letting the negative track of your inner critic play in your mind, it will drown out the positives. But by controlling those negative thoughts, you can boost your confidence. And it all starts by putting a mental muzzle on your inner critic.

The right mindset can boost confidence

The good news is that your inner critic can be made to work for you instead of against you. The second your inner critic starts up again – and you can be sure the talk isn’t kind or favorable – replace those toxic thoughts.

Kind thoughts and positive affirmations are one of the easiest and most direct ways to show yourself some love. So when negative thoughts start to roll in, flip the script so that it’s something good and positive. This helps retrain your brain so that what you tell yourself builds your confidence. As an example, if the inner critic calls you lazy, replace the negative self-speak with the thought that you’re being good to your body by letting it rest.

You can also ask yourself if you’d stand by and allow a loved one to be spoken to like your inner critic talks to you. Of course not! You’d recognize that the critic wasn’t being kind. You also deserve support and encouragement, so give yourself that same kind of love.

Stop the comparisons

When you compare yourself to others, you always lose. When you think someone else is better than you or has done something you think you can’t, then it steals your confidence. What you’re really asking when you play the comparison game is, ‘Am I good enough?’ And when you compare yourself with others, the answer your inner critic will always have is ‘No’.

So let’s stop the comparisons. You’ll never see everything that makes up the complete picture of another person’s life. You could easily be comparing your painful mountains to their sweet meadows. Your journey, both the highs and the lows, has helped you become the person you are today. Make the most of your unique talents and use what you’ve learned to enrich your life.

You are enough

Remember that your inner critic rarely, if ever, speaks the truth. Let’s give ourselves a little grace, and remember that those snapshots we’re comparing ourselves against are exactly that: idealized, frozen moments in time that don’t and can’t give us a complete picture. No one is ever perfect, but you are worthy of being loved, just as you are today. You are enough!

Download your free ‘You are Enough’ printable by clicking the button below

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All the Pretty Particulars

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The pretty blue flower artwork I used for this printable is by the talented Eva Katerina. If you’d like it for yourself, you can pick it up here.

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