Acceptance for the Inner Critic
"Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are."
~ Brene Brown
In mindfulness practice we are invited to tap into our innate capacity for compassion and learn to cultivate non-judgmental awareness. As we deepen our practice, we may notice that it becomes easier to practice acceptance for certain events and interactions we encounter throughout our day, but the real challenge remains acknowledging the self as a worthy recipient of this same tolerance. It is very often the case that when we are finally able to find this place of acceptance, it stays just long enough for the judgment to then creep back in. In this instance, we try to resist it, but it's inevitable – it’s there. This may be where the judging the judge phenomenon appears - our inner critic steps in and says "wait a minute, you're supposed to be mindful and compassionate, why are you judging? You're not doing this right." Does this sound familiar? Well we all experience it. Learning to recognize and embrace the inner critic is a necessary part of the process. It invites us to deepen and broaden our capacity for true acceptance.
Today let this experience invite you to simply redirect.
Acknowledge the inner critic - welcome it into the journey, and with intention,
bring your non-judgmental awareness back to the self - the silent observer.
Notice any judgment that arises with pure curiosity.
Return to the breathe and observe the experience
from a place of authenticity and acceptance.
You may notice the judgment dissipating naturally
by just embracing and paying attention to this human experience.
With patience, you may begin to witness the real YOU behind the judgment.
Surrender and experience the self-compassion and love that organically emerges.