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Alarming Insecurity

2 min read

My inner critic squawks at me like a car alarm in the dead silence of night. The volume is never about being good enough, it is more convinced that I’m not good at anything.

Thus, armed with imaginary ear muffs and medication I pursue the simplest of tasks hoping not to set off the alarm. A few weeks ago, I designed a t-shirt graphic for a contest and triggered the horn of self-criticism. So, I sent my image to 3 friends and my car alarm of insecurity wailed in preparation for the worst. All 3 reactions were more than positive. They were ecstatic.

Like an actual car alarm, my inner critic is often false. Yet, the alarm is necessary for protection. While the car alarm protects a car from theft, my fear attempts to shelter me from hurt and pain. However, I asked 3 friends for feedback! If any of them were critical of my design it would be beneficial to me and my efforts. There’s no need to set the car alarm when you’re inside the vehicle. This is a personal goal going forward, learning to disarm the alarm when I’m in a safe space. The horn of self-criticism has drained my battery too often and left me feeling helpless all too often.