From Cheerleader to Critic
I used to think my inner voice was my biggest fan. It cheered me on during presentations, whispered encouraging words before dates, and generally kept my spirits high. Then, somewhere between “Should I get bangs?” and “Is this email professional enough?”, my inner cheerleader morphed into a ruthless heckler.
It started subtly. A snide remark here, a doubtful whisper there. But soon, my internal monologue sounded like this:
“You think you can pull off that dress? Honey, please.”
“That joke wasn’t funny. You’re losing them. Abort! Abort!”
“Oh, you’re going for that promotion? Cute.”
It was exhausting. And demoralizing. I felt like I was constantly being judged, not by the world, but by the voice inside my own head.
