– A note from Donna –
Apparently there might be a recession coming in the UK in 3 months time. And there might not. I get really irate with the media, because they sensationalise EVERYTHING, and their stories seem to me designed to frighten people and bring about the very conditions they are scare-mongering about. Guesses about the future of the economy aren’t news, they’re guesses about the future…funny that they’re not getting Mystic Meg to predict the FTSE eh? Bah humbug. As I recall, a recession has been promised every year since the last one, so if you’ll forgive me, I’m not going to give an arse just yet.
– Let’s see What you’re doing Wrong –
So, what did you do wrong today? What did you do wrong this week? Where are you busy cocking up life left, right and centre? Well, if I were to answer these questions, I would say 1. Not writing this at 2 this afternoon cos it’s 8 o’clock at night and I just started; 2. I over-reacted about something with my mom, and 3. Well, where do I start????
Ok, no I’m not serious about this. I’m just demonstrating something. If you start to look for what you’re doing wrong, you’ll find it. Even I, who am utterly magnificent and a wonderful person, can find things I am doing wrong. Easily. And boy, does it make me feel GREAT?! No. No, it doesn’t. It feels horrible. So why would we focus so much on what we’re doing wrong?
First of all, I think it’s a largely unconscious thing – we don’t wake up in the morning and say ‘hey, I’m going to find all the things I’m doing wrong today and make myself feel like crap’. Well, at least I hope you don’t! But unconsciously we are our own worst critic – take all the people who’ve ever pointed out the error of your ways, multiply them by 10 and you have your inner critic. An expert in telling you why you are useless.
Every part of every body has a positive intention – the intention of your inner critic is usually to motivate you to do better. After all, that’s why people have criticised us all our lives – parents, teachers, partners…so that we can do better. Unfortunately it is not particularly motivating to be told what you are doing wrong all the time! So it’s a great intention, just a lousy method of achieving the desired aim!
Here’s the thing though – most of us are brilliant at finding our weakest points, superb at pointing out our shortcomings, fabulous at making ourselves feel bad. Imagine if we focused on finding our strengths; pointing out our brilliance; and making ourselves feel good? The tools are the same, it’s just a slightly different perspective! This new perspective might feel like new shoes for a while – a little odd and not quite comfortable – but soon, you will wake up every morning to the thought “hey, I’m going to find all the things I’m doing right today and make myself feel WONDERFUL!”
– Something To Play With –
Go on, I know you are dying to exercise that inner critic. Come up with 10 things you are doing wrong at the moment. See how easy that was?? Now come up with 20 things you are doing RIGHT (reading this newsletter counts as it is a very wise and caring thing to do for yourself). Every time you notice your inner critic at work, ask him/her to use that razor sharp observation to be your inner cheerleader – pom-poms and all. Ready “Gooooooooooo ME!” Want to share your thoughts on this article? Leave me a comment below.