Ones and the Inner Critic

Of all the types, Ones have the loudest Inner Critic. (One of my Type One friends calls it her “barking chihuahua”, yapping incessantly at her about her self-perceived faults.)

Of course, we all have our own version of an Inner Critic, barraging us to one degree or another with judgments about our own and others’ defects and failings. Paying too much attention to that voice can affect our self-esteem, cause us tension, loneliness and worry, and impair our ability to act.

What if in our still, quiet moments there was another voice to listen to? A voice that invited us into acceptance and forgiveness of ourselves and others? A voice that interpreted our perceived errors and mistakes as simply human imperfections, as simply differences? Spend some time at the end of each day noticing the judgments that you’ve made about yourself and others. How might you look at each of those "failings" as "learnings", as – in fact – gifts? Can you begin to see that, as Rumi says, our "defects are the way that Glory gets manifested"?

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An empty mirror and your worst destructive habits,

when they are held up to each other,

that’s when the real making begins.

That’s what art and crafting are.

A tailor needs a torn garment to practice his expertise.

The trunks of trees must be cut and cut again

so they can be used for fine carpentry.

Your doctor must have a broken leg to doctor.

Your defects are the way that Glory gets manifested.

- Your Defects, by Rumi

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