6 ways to quiet your inner critic

"I can do this."

It's the weary chugging forward, not the giant leaps -- think The Little Engine That Could -- that paves the way to success.

"I choose."

Like it or not, life is not happening to you -- it's happening with you.You call the shots. Reminding yourself of that can make it easier to chose happiness.

"It's not too late."

You feel like you're lagging behind -- reentering the workforce [ getting back on track with your diet] Your greatest success in life could be years down the road, and you don't even know it!

"I am where I'm supposed to be."

Sure, if you'd only made the cheerleading team in junior high, hadn't gotten tongue-tied in that meeting with your boss, taken a right turn at the light instead of a left - your life would be different. But "different" isn't always "better". And that regret you're torturing yourself with isn't doing any good. When we accept where we are right now, then we can grow.

"My best is good enough."

Calling all perfectionists - here's a real mind-bender: You're doing your best, even when you're not. Give yourself a break. Today, you may feel exhausted, fed up - and your all doesn't feel like much. But tomorrow, you may have a brilliant brainstorm, run that 4th mile, or accomplish whatever feat you wish you could realize now. Your best, in the varying degrees thereof, is infinite, not ultimate.

"Stop."

"Stop" is the ultimate redirect for your brain. You're telling yourself, "I'm not going down that road." And once you stop, you have a choice: Get back on the well-worn path of negative chatter, or head in a new direction of positive intention.

The full article is in the April 2007 issue of Redbook, page 74.