Have you ever decided to do something and been really motivated but then talked yourself out of it for fear of being embarrasses or not good at it. Usually it is a small voice inside you that comes up with a million different reasons why what you wanted to do will result in failure, deep embarrassment, or worse yet leave you feeling worthless.
Well my friends, that small voice is what is called your “inner critic”. We all have one and it is the inhibitor that limits our ability to be creative, takes the fun out of life, and in a lot of instances causes us to miss opportunities. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about the inner voice that should tell us not to wear two sets of plaids or get dressed in the dark. Those are legitimate warnings. What I am talking about are hypercritical instances that prevent venturing beyond levels of comfort in order to expand our world.
A great deal of the time that inner critic works off of our own ideals of perfection. By that I mean we set our goals based on an ideal that is not attainable and refuse to attempt because we recognize it is unattainable. A perfect example of this, years ago if someone told me I looked good I would immediately respond: “Yes, but I need to lose about 10 pounds and then I will really look good.” And then I read an article that explained how we strive for the unattainable and how it limits us. It suggested rather then focusing on those 10 pounds when I looked in the mirror I should ask myself “Do I look good?” and not “Do I look thin?” I tried it a few times and was amazed at the change in my mental attitude. Yes, I still work to drop those ten pounds but in the mean time when I dress up I know I look my best for right now.
In fact, to a great extent if we go back and analyze a situation where that inner critic offered a critical appraisal of 
something we did or wanted to try we would find we were responding to our fears about a situation and not reality. That’s right, the inner critic is a fear monger and you have to determine that one step at a time you will not have it!
Revisit a situation the critic opposed and realize that it does not have to be perfect but is the best you can produce for right now with the plan of improving as you move forward. So often we focus on the ideal or the finished product so much that we fail to stop for a moment and look back at just how far we have come. Realize that a first step is just that, a first step; and that a series of steps will get us to where we want to be and serve to quiet that inner critic.