The Day My Inner Critic Became an Outer Nightmare (and Why It Might Be a Good Thing)
My Inner Critic Gets Vocal
We all have that little voice inside our heads, right? The one that offers opinions, doles out anxieties, and occasionally hums a catchy tune from the radio. Mine has always been a bit of a downer, a champion of self-doubt, but I’d gotten used to its hushed, pessimistic tones. Until last Tuesday, that is, when it decided to crank up the volume – and the snark.
It all started innocently enough. I was at the grocery store, trying to decide between kale and spinach (the usual Tuesday night dilemma). Suddenly, it hit me – that familiar voice, but louder, clearer, and with an added dose of sarcasm.
“Oh, kale, of course,” it drawled. “Because you’re totally going to make that green smoothie you’ve been telling yourself about for the past month.”
I blinked, startled. Had I said that out loud? No, the elderly lady eyeing the organic bananas hadn’t even flinched. This was new.
The Coffee Shop Catastrophe
Later that day, I was meeting a friend at a coffee shop. I was running late (shocker), and as I rushed in, slightly flustered, my inner voice piped up again.
“Look at you, making a grand entrance. I’m sure everyone is impressed by your ability to be five minutes late with your hair looking like that.”
