The gift of the inner critic

Meet Sumo.

The voice in my ear.

I created a model of him with a team of leaders this week. We drew out our inner critics – you know, the pesky inner voice that holds us back from being our true self?

Sumo is a part of me. He used to tell me I wasn’t good enough, or smart enough, that I needed to work harder, that I wasn’t worth it. Today he mostly says things like “who do you think you are?” or “you’re just lucky’.

In the most. sarcastic. voice. ever.

I did some inner work (ok, A LOT of inner work). I learned to hear Sumo differently. Sumo was here to help me. I just needed to see how. He was keeping me safe: be prepared, do your homework, don’t let people hurt you. Stay in your lane. Blend. I got Sumo out of my ear and put him in front of me. I gave him a name. I got see him in a new light. He’s cute. He’s funny. And super over-protective.

When I make friends with my inner critic, I’m not fearful. I take a deep breath and thank Sumo for showing up. I do a an internal ‘circle check’ to access my inner wisdom. I move ahead with strength, aware of the obstacles that lie ahead but trusting in myself. I got this.

Who is your inner critic? Send me a drawing.