Getting Out of Your Own Way by Taming “Your Inner Critic”

By: Jacqueline T.D. Huynh

GREMLIN

We’ll discuss the last of the 4 Fear blocks. If you’re not achieving what you want to, it’s most likely one of these four that’s keeping you stuck.

In the past few issues, we looked at limiting beliefs – things that you accept about life, about yourself, about your world, or about the people in it, that limit you in some way; assumptions – expectations that, because something has happened in the past, it will happen again; and interpretations – opinions and judgments that you create about an event, situation, person, or experience and believe to be true.

It is now time to examine the last, but certainly not the least, of the big four energy blocks. The final block we’ll talk about – the gremlin – is the most difficult to overcome, because it’s the most personal and holds the most energy.

This barrier is the gremlin within every one of us: the inner critic. You know that little voice in your head? That voice that tells you not to try, never to take a risk, always to take the safe road, and to compromise your life by playing small? That’s your gremlin, and the message from your gremlin’s warnings is that you’re just not good enough to reach the summit of success.

Regardless of any evidence to the contrary, the gremlin’s annoying voice continues to whisper: “It ain’t gonna happen.” This debilitating message bubbles up in many forms: “I’m not smart enough, experienced enough, and attractive enough.” It all comes back to a simple and quite vicious block: “I’m just not good enough to cut it.”

Your gremlin is highly personal. It is rooted deeply inside you and carries the most intense emotional charge of any of the blocks we’ve explored. Your gremlin thrives on fear. When you hear its whispers, your motivation to try withers. You dread failing, feeling pain, and being embarrassed. You can even be scared of succeeding if the gremlin convinces you that you’ll fail eventually.

So what are some typical gremlins statements? Do you hear any of these statements from your own inner critic?

• I’m not effective.
• Who am I kidding, here?
• I’m not smart enough to really do this job right.
• I don’t have enough experience.
• I don’t deserve great success.
• They are going to find out I am a phony.

Being aware of your gremlin is the first step towards lessening its power. Once you realize that your gremlin exists, give it an identity. Name it – and then, if you’d like, make it even more real by drawing it, sculpting it, or seeing it in your mind – whatever works for you. In doing this, you discover that the gremlin is only a part of who you are, not your whole identity. By seeing it in objective terms, you sap some of its strength. Gremlin work can be quite involved and is most effective when you are guided by a certified coach.

The 4 Fear Blocks hold you back from living the life you desire and prevent you from making conscious choices.

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