I’d like to introduce you to someone. Someone you’re all too familiar with because he or she is with you all the time. It’s your Inner Critic. We all have one. Some are louder than others. And some are meaner than others. The Inner Critic is that voice inside your head that only has negative things to say. That tells you that you don’t look beautiful. You’re not smart enough or talented enough. It’s the voice that constantly compares you to your friends, coworkers, and teammates, and insists that they are better than you. The Inner Critic judges your body, your intelligence, your beauty, and your talents.

I’m not talking about the voice that challenges you to work hard, set goals, and make good choices.   That’s the Inner Coach in you (otherwise known as your conscience) and she’s healthy and helpful and necessary. The Inner Critic is much more damaging and the things she says are NOT true.

The worst part is, you can’t escape the Inner Critic, because he’s inside your head. She’s loud and constant, and you can’t turn her off. He’s always there to drown out anything positive you may think or feel about yourself, or anything positive you may hear from others.

Now you might ask, what’s so harmful about an Inner Critic? Doesn’t it keep us from being arrogant or overconfident? Doesn’t it challenge us to be better or try harder? In truth, the Inner Critic does no such thing! It leads you to feel worthless, undeserving and small. If you exclusively listen to the voice of your Inner Critic you’ll withdraw and hide away. You’ll deprive the world of the wonder that is YOU!

If your friend talked about herself the way your Inner Critic talks about you, you would want to put a stop to it. You wouldn’t want your friend to believe those things about herself. So why should you believe such things about yourself?

I’d like to take you back to the moment of your creation. We know from Scripture that we are created by God in God’s image. St. Paul writes: “we are God’s masterpiece” – God’s greatest piece of work. Each of us was created by God to be a unique masterpiece. How would God look upon His own work? Would He call it names? Would He criticize it? Would He be ashamed of it?

Instead of focusing on the voice of your inner critic, I encourage you to listen for the Voice of Truth – the voice of your loving God. The voice that says you are loved and accepted exactly the way you are! You are NEVER alone. God is by your side all the time. He knows and understands you.   God notices you and cares about you, no matter how trivial you think your life might be. You are God’s Beloved Child and He loves every part of you… even the parts you think are the most unlovable.

That’s the Voice of Truth… and it’s the only voice that matters.