I’ve written blog posts about it. I’ve made a podcast about it. I’ve even written a book about it. But the inner critic, the monkey in my head, remains a part of my life. Keeping that voice under control is, frankly a lifetime project.
Here’s a powerful new weapon for your arsenal. Powerful and free.
Recently, I was talking to my pal, Jim Posner, who is a former Wall Street executive, turned Mindfulness meditation instructor. He can relate to everyone who’s ever been a victim of that inner critic. Many years ago he went through his own crisis —a job loss, while his wife was pregnant with their first child. He became terrified of the future, overcome by anxiety, and could barely function. He kept telling himself he wasn’t good enough. His inner critic beat him up so badly that he suffered debilitating panic attacks. Eventually he did crush that inner critic.
Jim asked me if I’d join him in making a free series of interviews specifically designed to help you conquer your inner critic, crush self-doubt, unleash your full potential and stifle the monkey. Kinda like the Shut Your Monkey podcast but with a whole new super-group of experts chatting on video.
Jim put together an amazing group of 21 experts — best selling authors, accomplished doctors and scientists, well-known artists, CEO’s, top executive coaches and respected professionals in fitness and well-being. Oh, and me. I had an amazing discussion with Jim and it’s part of the lineup.
He’s interviewed each of us about mindfulness, self-doubt and -criticism, and he’s put it all together into a free online summit. Free, no sales, no shtick, no strings. Just smart people giving useful advice. Experts who really want to help ease peoples’ suffering and increase their potential.
Here’s how it works:
Click here to watch a video from Jim here that explains the idea and to sign up. Then, starting on April 24, every day for 21 days, you’ll get emailed a video interview with an expert. Pretty simple. Unless you’re a monkey.
I think it will be full of lots of useful ideas and insights that I, for one, can’t wait to put into practice. Let me know what you (and your monkey) think of the series.
Danny Gregory 
The timing for this is perfect. Thanks for the invite, Danny.
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I can relate to Jim Posner’s past situation. Last year I was laid off. I’m a single parent of a 14 year old girl. I am the sole income earner. I was terrified when I heard the news. I went through a horrible period of anxiety over the situation. Medicated until I was numb and all I wanted to do was sleep. I finally surfaced from that but still looking for a job. I’ve been fighting my inner critic all my life and it was never worse than it was last year. Instead of trying to silence my inner critic, I utilize her to and realize the truth in her words. I don’t think it is about silencing our inner critic as much as it is about utilizing the inner critic to motivate us into accomplishing what we want to accomplish. I’m doing artwork I had only dreamed about doing. Now that i have the time to do it, I’m learning more than I ever thought I would. I would love to hear what the experts have to say. Thank you for posting this and inviting your followers to join. ~Patt
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Best of Luck, P. I admire your courage and resourcefulness.
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Thank you, Danny.
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Thanks for the heads up and I just started headspace a meditation app and it sounds like some extra help would be great!
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Danny, at the risk of sounding tendentious — and, honestly, it’s not my style — is there such a thing as the inner critic? I mean, if mindfulness is your chosen practice, isn’t then the higest form of (meditation) practice simply to Be? (See the works of Osho.) Put it this way, when we rest in awareness, the thoughts which we label ‘inner critic’ (who or what is it that’s doing the negative talking?), are part of everything and no-thing. Pretty metaphysical I accept, but when we understand that our thoughts can be anything — good, bad, indifferent — and we don’t hold them or become them, then everything changes. Sorry that’s a long-winded way of saying that our thoughts will always exist but when we don’t live out the felt experience, everything changes. Julian
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I might not say it that way but I certainly don’t resist my so-called inner critic. Just another voice to explore, and trying to control any monkey just gives it more attention. Breathe, shift, focus. Besides the Critic can be quite useful in many other situations… like when you have to make critical decisions. Which art to send to a gallery owner. Where to live. Or editing a manuscript. I’ve not waded in because it is simply a whole world perspective that is different. Those that want to edit out what may be unpleasant in their heads (good luck with that) and those that hear the many voices and choose which to dance to on a given day. Clarity, not silencing.
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I’m glad to see you offering this to your art pals. I’ve stayed silent in all this inner critic talk because mindfulness mediation is much more effective than trying to shut the monkey up. 30+years zen meditation, and when I work with artists one-on-one my approach is very different. The problem is that it can’t be done in five seconds. You have ot practice, just like sketching daily.
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