We’ve discovered that your inner naysayer is usually trying to protect you from something with its negative messages. Sometimes this presents itself as your intuition or gut protecting you from real harm, and you should learn to identify this voice and listen to it. Most often, however, your inner critic is acting in a defensive way to keep your ego from getting bruised. It can truly hold you back from having some great experiences. That’s when you really want to employ strategies to manage that nagging voice.
You’ve learned a number of ways to recognize and deal with your negative self-talk. Today, we’ll cover one more. Examining the things this inner dialogue is keeping you from can push you forward and help you to overcome the damaging effects of that little voice. Take a look below to learn how you can focus on what you may be missing when you listen to your inner naysayer. Once you know what’s at stake, you’ll be more apt to take positive actions that can lead to tremendous personal reward.
What You’re Protecting
When you give in to your inner naysayer, you are protecting yourself from a number of things. You can avoid hurt or embarrassment if you decide not to try something new. Avoiding risks rewards you with a feeling of safety. You protect yourself from rejection, failure, or vulnerability. It’s very tempting to give into your inner critic. It can feel much safer to simply not try than to put yourself out there. It’s self-protection.
What You’re Missing
Listening to that inner critic can feel like such a relief. It takes the pressure off and saves you from trying something hard. However, it can also keep you from experiencing something great. It also often leaves you with the regret of what could have been. Instead, learning to recognize and push past your inner naysayer can bring you rewards beyond your imagination. Think of the friendships, romances, career successes, passions, and novelties you can experience if you silence that critic and do the thing.
What You Have to Gain
You have so many amazing things to gain by ignoring your inner naysayer. Beyond the wonderful experiences, you’ll gain confidence and self-esteem. The more you practice ignoring your negative self-talk, the easier it will become. You’ll soon notice you have the confidence to try more things because you’ve learned that you can do it and the world doesn’t end. You’ll have more fun, meet more people, try new things, and just feel better about yourself when you learn to overcome that inner naysayer.
Keep these tips in mind the next time self-doubt tries to hold you back. Do it, anyway. Then, see how good you feel.
