When did you start listening to that motherfucker upstairs? That negative, inner voice that holds you back from being your effusive, buoyant and down-right magical self? Mine says stuff like this every time I start writing: “Ugh, you’re sooo full of yourself and pretty annoying, dude. On the real tho… no one gives a fuck what you write; you literally have zero authority or expertise and should probably just go back to hating your life and working 24/7 as a Brooklyn real estate agent because that’s the only thing you’re half-way decent at. You think you’re so fucking perfect and know everything, right? You’re a fuckin’ phony, bro.” What if I actually listened to that bullshit – that negative self-talk coming in to crush any sort of positive imprint I could have on the world and on my own own life? Read below for my 5 Reasons to Tell Your Negative Inner Voice to Go Fuck Itself.
1. You never know when you’re going to die, or have an irreversibly life-altering accident.
Now, now… I know what you’re thinking: “Dude, seriously? You’re being waaaay intense right now.” No tho, I actually mean it – you truly never know what day could be your last. I’m not saying live in constant fear (that’s kinda what we’re trying to avoid here), but if that negative, inner voice is holding you back from living the big, bold life you know in your heart you deserve, then start talking back to that motherfucker. Say, “nope, not listening to you today, sorry.” Actually, don’t say sorry. Say, “come on, dude, we’ve gone over this already: I’m not listening to a fucking word you say because you’re wrong and can GFY (acronym for ‘Go Fuck Yourself’ for the less-cool).
2. People make their dreams come true everyday – why not you?
Living in New York City has taught me many things: how to tolerate the casual smell of human feces on a subway platform, how to make myself real tiny and squeeze through dumb people who stop in the middle of the street to check their phones in Midtown at 5pm, and — most importantly — that people make it everyday. Ah seen it! Seriously. Let that soak in real-good-like. People — through hard work, perseverance, a strategic plan and getting out of their own way — make it every single goddamn day. And you can, too. Get a plan, write that shit down (on an actual sheet of paper with a writing utensil), then micro-plan it, which means as you see a thing that makes you think, “well, how the hell am I gonna do that in an afternoon,” break it down to more manageable steps. And if you fail, mess up, fall back, relapse, or have a case of the “fuck its,” it’s totally OK, just get back on the horse ASAP.
3. That voice is not you – it didn’t come from you.
Where did that motherfucker come from anyway? It certainly wasn’t you. Probably the media, that bully from school, your parents, people who’ve rejected you in the past, asshole ex’s, some of your closest friends / family (yup, believe it), or critical authority figures. Pretty sure you weren’t playing with blocks as a 3 year-old and thinking, “OMG these blocks won’t stay up! I’m so stupid! You know what – I’m never playing with these fucking things again. I should just go jump in front of the Magic School Bus.” Nah, bro, you were just fucking loving those blocks. Sure, you probably threw some tantrums, but whatevs, you didn’t let that create a limiting belief that you were fundamentally flawed and sucked at playing with blocks (hopefully). So… where did that voice come from?
4. You don’t need to be perfect or complete to start putting yourself out there today.
Your passion? You know, that thing that makes you hungry to get out of bed everyday? Start putting that shit out there. Wanna post a whore-ish selfie? Write down your soul? Show your artwork? Develop that code? Motivate others with a self-help vlog? By all means PLEASE DO – we’re all waiting for it. And in today’s world of infinite online publishing capabilities, you don’t need to wait for anyone’s permission. You can start today – right now. OK, here’s my own practice out loud: my critical inner voice — which I like to play with in my writing often — is saying, “here we go; now he’s going into narcissism mode – like dude, seriously? You’re not a fucking expert on anything. You should just stop writing because you’re over-posting and people think it’s fucking annoying and literally none cares.” Basically, my negative inner voice is Regina George. #teenqueenbeeinyourmindstrugglesoflifedotcom. You know how many times I wanted to start writing and let my soul shine bright to touch, move and inspire others? Many. But that negative and critical inner voice would hold me back. Then, on my first Father’s Day being an orphan, I decided I was gonna pay WordPress for my own website and share my shit no matter what anyone thought because my soul is bubbling like a lava-hot volcano with inspirational content.
5. Put yourself out there for the lovers — the supporters — because haters are gonna hate no matter what you do.
Stop trying to please the haters and start being of service to all your lovers and supporters. Most of the haters are just mad at themselves and their mistakes, and have let their critical inner voice run wild — stuck in a habit loop they are totally unaware of and probably will never gain that magical awareness — so just do you, bro. And if any haters are reading right now, I want you to know it’s OK if things trigger you; use that shit as fuel and get started today to get past all the bullshit that made you a hater in the first place.
I feel so cleansed right now and want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading my work. If you were waiting for a green light or a sign, I’m giving it to you right now. GO!
PS- if you want to really have your mind blown and your little heart lifted on a daily basis, follow my girl Kristin Lohr’s instagram. Her work will take that angsty feeling in your soul and pour warm, calming honey all over it.