The mind, our beautiful mind.
Our intelligence, insights, intuition, creativity,
wonder, vision and so much glorious capacity in our mind
when it is free, clear, and peaceful.

But our minds are not always free, clear, and peaceful.

Have you noticed?

Is there sometimes a negative voice in your head?

For most of us there is an inner critic,
a voice in our head of self-criticism, self-judgement,
and negative self-talk.

Take a deep focused breath,
inhale and expand your chest,
exhale and relax your shoulders.

As you keep breathing,
consider that within your mind there is both
speaking and listening going on.

Things are said, and listened to, in our mind.
Sometimes we are more identified with the speaker,
and sometimes we’re more identified with the listener.

Keep focusing on your breathing to regulate yourself
into feeling a more peaceful vibration.

Our thoughts are often just rambling on and on,
and we’re attentively listening,
without consciously choosing to do so.
It can be hypnotically automatic.

Let’s call this the inner critic, comprised of what seems like
an inner judge, an inner controller, self-criticism,
and negative self talk.

Does this ever go on in your mind?
How do you feel about that?

As you take some deeper breaths, consider
silencing the inner critic whenever you want to,
and deleting it for good.

How does that feel?

You do have choice.

And you can delete the inner critic and all its voices.

This is a great turning point for us,
for all of us, to realize that we can have more agency
and control over what happens
in our beautiful minds.

This is why the power of your focus,
the ability to steer your attention as you desire,
is such a treasure.

And there are many wounded parts of ourselves as well,
which deserve compassion, forgiveness,
and loving kindness,
not criticism.

Take a few deeper breaths.
And as you do, bring some compassion,
some forgiveness, and breathe loving kindness
into yourself.

We are adaptable, accommodating beings,
and we have somehow accepted this infiltration
into our mental body as normal.

Because we learn from everything we experience,
we may have created some value from hosting the inner critic,
unaware that it is an infiltration, and that it doesn’t belong
to us, or in us.

It’s time to say no. No more. It’s time to hit delete,
like a virus in our computers infiltrating the operating system.
Delete it. Erase it.

You can do this! It just takes application, determination,
perseverance, and kindness to yourself.

Ask yourself is there really anything else you need to learn
from being criticized, judged, abused, and bullied
by a voice in your head?

Are you ready to be done with that kind of infiltration
in your mental body?

It takes a dedicated commitment to not listen.
To realize it has nothing to offer you.

Does it ever make you feel good?

It’s your choice
And you have the power and the freedom to choose
where you place your attention, and what you listen to,
inside your head and outside your head.

Of course, sometimes there are sirens going on outside,
and sometimes there are sirens going on inside,
and we do need to listen.
But we get to listen from a place of conscious awareness.
Not just automatic, hypnotic attention.

Once you absolutely decide not to listen,
you empower yourself to say no.

Like a child who puts their fingers in their ears
and says, “nah nah nah,” we can do that.

No need to think about it too much,
just say, “No. I’m done.”

Be aware that the inner critic switches back and forth
as a speaker and a listener inside your head,
a switch and bait tactic.

So be conscious of both. Especially pay attention
to the part of you that’s listening.

And know you can at any time
consciously redirect your attention
away from listening to negative self-talk,
which is always about the past or the future.

So placing your attention in the present moment
instantly liberates your mind.

It really doesn’t take long to silence that voice
once you decide you’re not going to listen
to any of it at all.

And as you diligently practice consciously redirecting
your attention every time the inner critic shows up,
you will strengthen your capacity to focus as you choose.
You will delete that voice and erase that program
infiltrating your mind.

You will free your mind.

Take another few deep focused breaths.
Expand your chest as you breathe in,
and relax your shoulders as you breathe out.
3 times.

Here are some ways
to instantly turn off the inner critic in any moment:
First and foremost,
be vigilant to notice when it shows up.

The inner critic feeds on your attention.
Don’t give it any attention.
You will delete it by completely eliminating
it from your attention.

Consciously take over both
the speaking and the listening parts of your mind,
they both belong only to you.
Take your power back.

Catch yourself when your mind is off and running,
and immediately redirect your attention,
your full and complete attention,
to focus on something else, anything else.

You can focus on your breathing,
count your breaths, and feel your body.

Mentally name and focus on one body part at a time
as you scan your body.

Focus on anything that’s happening around you
in the present moment, say something about it in your mind,
or name what you see around you.

Name what colors you see.

Listen to the sounds around you;

Sing, hum, or chant, giving each sound your full attention.

These are just some ways to ignore the inner critic
so fully that it will die off.
It needs your attention to exist.
If you don’t feed it, it cannot survive.

Stay focused in the present moment.

And be gentle with yourself.

And if you find you’ve been listening for while
to an old story,
especially do not let that negative voice jump in
and criticize you about that!

Take another deep breath and exhale with a big sigh.

To free yourself from the inner critic
is a most precious gift you can give yourself.

You will have more access to your infinite wisdom
and your personal sovereignty.

You will be able to meet each moment from a place of
peace, compassion, and forgiveness.

You will be able to center yourself in wonder,
curiosity, and kindness.

You will be able to fully trust in the love
that you truly are.

And you will have peace of mind.

Much Love from UPLIFT

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