The Critic

Have you ever gotten to know someone so well that you started to take on his/her traits? I have. Interestingly enough, this also goes for the different parts of me.

I am an assortment of parts when put all together the world knows as Stan. You have read my blogs before about whichever part I feed the most is the part of me that runs my life. This week there has been a part of me that has in some ways not only been a part of me, it has been a defining part. That part is my critic.

Meet my critic. He sounds just like me, he looks just like me, and he has the most uncanny timing in the world. His whole role in this world is to let me know that I am not quite good enough and how could I be a fool to think so. Some people call this the monkey mind……another way of saying critic gone wild.

As I have learned in Shadow Work, the critic can also be in the form of a risk manager and has served me in the sense of a protector against me hurting or embarrassing myself. The paradox is that I cannot protect myself from me.

My critic and my victim are best friends and feed off each other. This week my critic has been going NUTS……why……..because I am stepping out of my comfort range and pursuing parts of my musical life that I have always wanted and yet found many reasons not to.

I have chosen a profession in music and healing where creativity and uncertainty is king and there is no definable solutions…..just songs and ideas. So my critic has all kinds of room to dance. So instead of fighting with my critic…..I think it’s high time I wrote him a song……you think he will help me with the title?