That Pesky Inner Critic

I am working on writing the upcoming content for the March release and I thought I would share the opening of the full-length article.

Please enjoy this excerpt:

When Your Thoughts Turn Against You

Before I ever began this self‑love journey, there was never a moment when I was kind to myself between my ears. Not one.

I hated the way I looked in mirrors and store windows. I hated the way I dressed. I hated my voice, my laugh, my smile. I hated the way I worked, the way I breathed, the way I seemed to exist in the world. I judged my decisions, my reactions to both small inconveniences and life‑altering moments.

My inner critic never missed a beat. If there was an opportunity to say something negative, it took it—loudly, confidently, and without apology.

For a long time, I didn’t even question it. I thought that voice was motivation. I thought it was keeping me sharp, humble, improving. In reality, it was just fear wearing a headset and calling itself leadership.

There came a day when I finally paused long enough to really look at my life. I was standing in front of my bathroom mirror, exhausted in a way sleep doesn’t fix, and that voice was everywhere—cataloging everything that was wrong with me, my body, my choices, my progress. It was harsh. Aggressive. Downright mean.

And in that moment, something uncomfortable but clarifying landed: the only person who could change any of it was me.

The truth was, I had tried everything except one thing—loving myself unconditionally. I didn’t know if it would shut my inner critic up, but I knew this: something had to change.

That voice in my head sounded suspiciously familiar. It echoed the people who told me I’d be prettier if, smarter if, more successful if. I believed it was pushing me forward. Instead, my mind, body, and spirit simply agreed with it—and kept repeating the same script. More bad choices. Less self‑care. Zero self‑love.

Eventually, the inner critic became so constant that I stopped noticing it altogether. It wasn’t a voice anymore; it was the narrator of my life.

And this is what I wish more women understood: the way we speak to ourselves shapes everything. What we allow to continue between our ears becomes our outward reality. And as unfair as that feels, it’s also empowering—because no one else can change it for us. Only we can.

The full article will be available in The Inspired Vault as well as a Self-Love Kit on the Inspired Digitals shop page.

Thanks for reading