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Every single one of us has it:  That inner voice that seems to always feel the need to make its presence known..you know, the one that subtly or not so subtly doubts, second guesses, judges, fears, ridicules, wavers, resists, flounders, and pretty much thrives on staying stuck right where we are.

Now, to be successful in business and balanced in life, each of us has to figure out what to do with this voice.  For some of us, it is an absolutely paralyzing force that is solely responsible for keeping us totally unable to move forward and achieve our goals.  For others, it is a bit more subtle; it just kind of hangs out in the background and maintains a lingering presence that keeps us feeling anxious, insecure, or uncertain– as if self-sabotage is the only certain outcome we can rely on.

Then, there is that rare human being who seems to have figured out what to do about the inner critic.  This is the person who serves as a true leader and visionary, an enormous source of inspiration for the masses who are still enslaved by this unwelcome presence.  Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Jon Kabat-Zinn are some of the motivational and spiritual teachers who come to mind in this regard.  Then, you have the ridiculously successful internet marketers like Frank Kern who never seem to take themselves too seriously.

These people are onto something that most of us have not quite resolved.  They have liberated themselves from the tyranny of the inner critic.  Because of this, they are able to accomplish staggering things, help millions and millions of people, and of course set themselves up with a life of success and freedom that most could never imagine.

I firmly believe that every single one of us is not only capable of this, but that we can access this incredible resource of inner freedom RIGHT NOW, even if we have spent a lifetime being stuck in negativity, doubt, or any other obstacle to success.

I should say that I wrote an entire book on this subject called The Purpose Principle because I am passionate about helping people in this regard.  If we don’t do this inner work, then we will never achieve the outer success we desire.

Here is a brief overview of the 3 steps I recommend to be free of the inner critic right NOW:

1.  Stop fighting against it-- The inner critic feeds on you trying to figure it out, analyze it, negotiate with it, and make it go away.  All of this is steeped in resistance, which will only make this presence stronger over time.  Perhaps for the first time ever, just let it be without wishing it would go away.  This can instantly cut through the negative momentum, even if it has accumulated over many years.

2.  Stop asking how, stop saying you are working on it, and stop acting as if you have time to do this later– The inner critic LOVES all of this kind of inner dialogue:

Think of it this way:

• But how do I do this?  Translation:  I am not ready to do this.
• I am working on it.  Translation:  I am using the inner critic to try and fight against the inner critic.  Working on it is a big part of the problem.  No work, no try–just do.
• I will get to it later.  Translation:   I think time exists so I will postpone what is most important.

3.  Practice the art of purposeful thinking–Set intentions every single day to put your true purpose in life first. The only way to be free from the inner critic is to first stop resisting it, and then set new intentions in your life to be free, purposeful, and abundant.   I have found there is a daily need to proactively and consciously CHOOSE what I am creating in my mind, and that if I don’t do that, the default mental activity will lean toward habitual, negative storylines.  Consciously create what you want in your mind.  I call this purposeful thinking rather than positive thinking.

All 3 of these steps are based on the recognition that this moment is all we have; we are either free right now or we are not.  Ultimately the suffocating  grip of the inner critic will only loosen once we choose to come into the present moment on a consistent basis.  Each of us finds our way into this when we are truly ready, which is usually a result of just being completely fed up with the garbage, stress, and distraction that our inner critic is throwing at us all of the time.

As one of my favorite mentors Lonny Jarrett says, “The primary impetus for transforming pathos into virtue is exhaustion.”

I hope this helps you to find more inner peace so you can be more productive and successful in your business!

For more tips on releasing the inner critic, be sure to leave your name and email below.

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