You know that voice, that one that tells you how lacking you are, how easy it will be to mess up, fail, look silly, or do only an average job.  Consider how you can embrace that voice and transform it into something that serves you in bigger ways.

• Acknowledge the voice exists.  Often times we try to just push that voice down.  We fight it.  We tell ourselves we shouldn’t be having those thoughts and feelings.  What that voice says isn’t real and we need to think positively.  But this just makes it worse.  The elephant is still in the room even if you don’t want to look at it.  Be compassionate with yourself and know that these feelings are part of what make you human.  Even more importantly, they are here to serve you in some way.  Be curious about what might be behind those feelings and how they are trying to protect you.

• Where can you shift your perception – even if it’s just a little?  If you recognize you are a perfectionist, is there a place where you can give yourself permission to relax a bit?  Can you look at “mistakes” as learning opportunities that help you to do things differently the next time?  Remind yourself of how far you’ve come rather than how much further you have to go.

• Everything is Course Correctable –  My mentor shared this one with me.  No matter how loud those negative voices sound, it’s always possible to move in a more positive direction at any time.  When you have a “bad experience”, it’s actually a gift – giving you more clarity around what you don’t want, so that you can change course and move in the direction you DO want.

• Play the “What if it all worked out” game.  What if things were perfect?  What if you gave a fantastic performance?  What if you received a standing ovation?  What if you landed that dream job or played the role of a lifetime?  Use the negative voice as a guide to focus on the positive.  If you are worried you’ll forget your words…consider “What if I remember all the words, I have fun, and the audience loves it?  How would that feel?”  We spend so much time imagining the worst.  It certainly can’t hurt to imagine the best, can it?

• Tap Into Your Joy.  Fear and Love cannot exist in the same thought.  When the negative voices (which are always based in fear) get going, the last thing you can feel is content, happy, satisfied or at peace.  So consider what would happen if you took conscious action to think of something that makes you feel good (a friend, pet, the beach or favorite spot outside).  If you can, take a walk, a bubble bath, read a favorite book, write, or sing when you know no one is listening.  The more you train yourself to feel good, the less time you will have to listen to your fear.