Our inner bully is often our own worst critic.
One who sabotages every dream, every idea, every feeling before it ever gets going.
Our inner bully can be tamed, however, through practicing awareness and stillness.
Through awareness we can uncover what the inner bully is saying to us on the inside. We can use it to become intimate with our internal dialogue so that learn from it as a teacher rather than listen to it as a spectator…
Often our inner bully is self-sabotaging our dreams and success by the lies it repeats to us daily.
So how do we begin hearing what our inner bully is saying?
The exercise below is designed to become aware of our inner bully and the internal dialogue that keeps us stuck.
Inner Bully Identifier Exercise:
This exercise is best practiced when you make a mistake or do something silly.
Step 1: Identify a situation where you have made a mistake or done something silly,
Step 2: Pause and freeze the situation,
Step 3: Listen to the thoughts going on inside your head about what just happened. What are you saying to yourself about the experience?
- Gosh you’re an idiot?
- I can’t believe you just did that!!
- You don’t ever do anything right!
- Wow, this again… get your sh** together
Or any other rude comment. If you wouldn’t say it to your best friend, why the heck are you saying it to yourself?!
Step 4: Be kind to yourself – you can switch this in the moment to start a new neural pathway, a new conversation within.
Having a negative internal dialogue causes negative feelings which keep us feeling bad about ourselves, thus leading to more negative inner dialogue.
It’s time to silence the inner bully!
Instead, become your biggest fan! Tell yourself I can do this, I am enough. Sometimes I make mistakes, but I learn from them. You’re doing a great job, keep going!