July 2018 Newsletter

Hello, and a jam-packed July to you!
Welcome, or welcome back, to my newsletter. Today's issue is about self-criticism. Is it constructive criticism, or not? Enjoy!

Most of us were trained as youngsters to be alert for our mistakes, so we could correct them. The teacher made glaring red marks on our paper in school to highlight our errors to us. Our parents guided us in learning how to cook or clean or repair things by pointing out what we were doing wrong, I hope with gentle re-direction when it was needed and not harsh criticism. And I'm also hoping we got some praise when we did things right.

It's been said a child needs ten times as much affirmation and support as criticism to be well-adjusted, and to have healthy self-confidence. And it's actually a biological survival instinct to be wary of doing something wrong. If a child pets a tiger cub in the wild, the mama tiger could gobble up the child! It's no wonder those of us who are sensitive and careful can tend to be overly self-critical.

Yet as with any other good habit, we can go overboard and do it to extremes. When I recognized my own tendency to be self-critical years ago, I asked my mother why she'd been so hard on me as a child, thinking this is where I'd learned the behavior. She looked surprised, and replied that she hadn't wanted me to get a big head! I laughed ruefully to myself, feeling she had gone too far in the other direction. I was more likely to think I was doing everything wrong if it wasn't 100 per cent perfect, than to think I was "all that", like the guy in the cartoon admiring himself.

You've heard the saying "You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar". While I don't want to catch any flies, I do agree that maintaining a pleasant, even sweet, attitude will get me farther than being sour in my demeanor and my words. This includes my self-talk. Like the first quote above advises, I'm now careful how I talk to myself. When I complete something difficult, or some task I didn't really want to do but needed to, I'll tell myself "Good job, Nance!", with feeling, like I really mean it. This always lifts my mood.

Take a moment to check in with yourself. Do you have a strong inner critic? If so, does this internalized harsh parental or teacher voice feel helpful and supportive, or does it just make you feel incompetent? I'm training my inner critic to become my inner cheerleader, praising me for what I do right, and urging me on to accomplish more when I need motivation. I am able to gently push against my limits when I feel strong and supported. When I'm criticized it saps what energy I do have. Think of someone in your life who believed in you, maybe an older sibling or a favorite sports coach. Can you substitute that voice for your inner critic? Try it and see how it feels. You can do it! Go, Team!

To read about criticizing myself for my eyesight problems, click here.

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Please send me your questions and comments
Let me know what you've wondered about concerning energy medicine or vision or dreams. I'll be glad to write a short article addressing that topic. Thank you to those who have sent me questions, or see a question you asked me in a private session written about here. You're helping many other people! Enjoy the beginning of your July. I'll write again in a couple of weeks. Take care!