MADE Maven Special Women's Issue April 2018 | Page 22

HOW TO SILENCE YOUR INNER CRITIC Donnie Smith
Show your inner critic your resume. When your inner critic starts
talking loudly and saying nothing, the best thing you can do is to
remind him (or her) of what you've already accomplished.
Make affirmations a regular part of your routine. I write
affirmations, as well as li sten to them in audio form when I'm
brushing my teeth and when I'm driving in my car. Affirmations are
like kryptonite for your inner critic.
Keep learning. The times my inner critic shouts the loudest are
when I'm doing something new or taking a big risk. The more
that we can do to educate ourselves about our new ventures and
minimize or manage risks, the quieter that inner critic becomes.
Ultimately, he or she just wants reassurance that "we're" going to
be ok.
HOW TO LISTEN GENUINELY Veronica Appleton
Be your own vision
master. I genuinely
believe in being a master
of everything one sets
out to do. Similar to
goal setting, effectively
listening to others is
having patience and clear
understanding. God has
a broader understanding
of the world and we can't
figure him out. This is
the beauty in waiting,
having discernment
and understanding who
someone is while listening
to their story (Reference:
Romans 1:20-22).
Keep your head above
the water. There's not a
week that goes by where
you do not experience
challenges or setbacks. In
many instances, this can
stifle you from keeping
your head above water
and or candidly having
a conversation with
someone. As a person,
one must accept the
challenges life presents
them and lead with a
humanistic spirit when
effectively listening to
someone. As a doctoral
student, most, if not all
of my classes or readings
are psychology based.
The basic understanding
of psychology is the
desire to understand the
human mind and a way
of doing that is engaging
in a conversation with
someone.
An example of this is
being an Uber or Lyft
passenger. I'm sure you're
familiar with those days
when you get in the car
and you do not want to
be disturbed, but for some
reason, the driver wants to
talk and/or ask you about
your day. This simple
conversation is potentially
the highlight of their day.
Sitting in a car, driving and
meeting new people is an
adventure. So, the next
time you're in an Uber or
Lyft, take the driver up on
their offer and chat with
them. I'm sure you'll learn
something new and the
best benefit of all, it's a
low-cost therapy session
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on those not so good
days.
There is power in your
story. Symbolic of Journey
to Appleville, each child
in the book has a fear
that they would like to
overcome and they each
represent a career and/or
passion that other children
may want to explore.
From being a zookeeper
to a magician, the variety
of roles gives children an
outlook on the possibilities
of life and what it’s like
being within such a role.
In the end, the variety
of fears and aspirations,
makes Appleville the
ideal place for any child
to visit – with the hope of
being the best version of
themselves. This example
is representative of the
fact that many people
have a personal story filled
with fears and aspirations.
Our goal as listeners is to
enter a conversation with
an open heart.