After being told that I think too much when I start writing blog posts, I’ve decided that this post is just going to be whatever I write in 15 minutes. I think that’s about as long as I’ll be able to put a muzzle on my internal critic before she manages to get free. For every post that actually makes it to the blog, there are probably 2-3 more that were considered but ultimately deemed not important enough. It would be one thing to decide that I didn’t want to share a certain topic, but those posts are usually rejected simply because my internal critic bleeds all over them with her red pen before they even see the light of day.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that behavior is pretty typical for me in so many facets of my life, and it’s stupid really. I say things to myself that I’d never say to another person and that would make me think very little of someone who said them to someone else. I deserve better than that. We all do. Now I’m not saying that we all need to be sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows all the time, but we can be kind to ourselves.

You have something to say but your post seems lame? That shirt you’re making isn’t quite up to your standards and you figure you’ll never do it better? Well, write that post and make that shirt or do whatever else it is you want to do and share it anyway. Maybe you’re the only one who will ever see value in it or maybe you’ll meet others who can help you try it differently or see it in a more positive light the way it is. It doesn’t really matter. It just matters that we keep attempting things and stretching ourselves. You’re worth it. I’m worth it. Let’s help each other remember that. It’s obviously something I continue to work on as you’ve seen me writing about it here before. I’m working for the day where the inner critic is just a little whisper when needed rather than a shout that drowns out all other thought.

Oh, and the photo with this post? It was a shot I did for an unprocessed Windlight contest at Koinup. I wasn’t convinced I liked it and almost didn’t bother entering the contest with it because of that. It won one of the runner-up prizes though and got some nice feedback. The whole experience was a good reminder of just what I’m trying to say here. We shouldn’t let our inner critics keep us hidden in the dark. There’s a whole world of light out there. Soak it up and let it bring out the light already in you.