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== Dear younger me == | == Dear younger me == | ||
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You thought pushing harder would silence the critic. It didn’t. It just made the debt pile up—therapy bills, missed birthdays with your future twins, the quiet grief of realizing you’d outgrown your own life. The mistake wasn’t working hard. It was believing you *had* to work until you broke. That inner voice? It’s not your compass. It’s a broken map. | You thought pushing harder would silence the critic. It didn’t. It just made the debt pile up—therapy bills, missed birthdays with your future twins, the quiet grief of realizing you’d outgrown your own life. The mistake wasn’t working hard. It was believing you *had* to work until you broke. That inner voice? It’s not your compass. It’s a broken map. | ||
So here’s the truth you needed to hear: **You are enough *now*, not when you’re perfect.** Your worth isn’t earned by saying "yes" to everything. It’s claimed by saying | So here’s the truth you needed to hear: **You are enough *now*, not when you’re [[happiness:Letting Go Of Perfectionism|perfect]].** Your worth isn’t earned by saying "yes" to everything. It’s claimed by [[brave:Boundaries|saying 'no']] to what drains you. It’s in the messy, imperfect moments—like holding your twins’ hands on a walk, or finally sleeping through the night. That critic will whisper "You’re failing" when you [[happiness:Learning to Rest|rest]]. Don’t believe it. Your rest is part of the work. | ||
You don’t need to outrun the critic. You just need to stop letting it run your life. Start small: say "I need to think about that" instead of "yes." Notice when your chest tightens and breathe *into* it, not away from it. Your body knows the truth your mind denies: you’re not broken. You’re rebuilding. | You don’t need to outrun the critic. You just need to stop letting it run your life. Start small: say "I need to think about that" instead of "yes." Notice when your chest tightens and breathe *into* it, not away from it. Your body knows the truth your mind denies: you’re not broken. You’re rebuilding. | ||
You’ll learn to hear your own voice over the noise. And one day, you’ll look back at that exhausted, overworked younger self and whisper: *I see you. I’m here now.* | You’ll learn to [[brave:The Bravery of Vulnerability|hear your own voice]] over the noise. And one day, you’ll look back at that exhausted, overworked younger self and whisper: *I see you. I’m here now.* | ||
*— Tracy Carlson, drawing the line* | *— Tracy Carlson, drawing the line* | ||
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''Written by'' [[User:Tracy Carlson|Tracy Carlson]] — 05:22, 02 January 2026 (CST) | |||
[[Category:When the Critic Won't Quiet]] | |||
Latest revision as of 00:16, 7 January 2026
Dear younger me
Let me be direct: that inner critic of yours? It’s not your ally. It’s a toxic CFO who keeps demanding impossible ROI on your existence. I know you think it’s protecting you—making you perfect, making you safe—but it’s actually the reason you’re drowning in "shoulds" and panic attacks at 3 a.m. while drafting your 12th version of a memo.
Here’s what no one tells you: your worth isn’t tied to billable hours or flawless presentations. You spent years believing your value was measured in "yes, ma’am" and "I’ll get it done by Friday." You said "yes" to every request, every late-night call, every "just one more thing" until you couldn’t get out of bed for a year. I learned this the hard way: burnout isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s your body screaming that you’ve been paying rent to a liar.
You thought pushing harder would silence the critic. It didn’t. It just made the debt pile up—therapy bills, missed birthdays with your future twins, the quiet grief of realizing you’d outgrown your own life. The mistake wasn’t working hard. It was believing you had to work until you broke. That inner voice? It’s not your compass. It’s a broken map.
So here’s the truth you needed to hear: You are enough now, not when you’re perfect. Your worth isn’t earned by saying "yes" to everything. It’s claimed by saying 'no' to what drains you. It’s in the messy, imperfect moments—like holding your twins’ hands on a walk, or finally sleeping through the night. That critic will whisper "You’re failing" when you rest. Don’t believe it. Your rest is part of the work.
You don’t need to outrun the critic. You just need to stop letting it run your life. Start small: say "I need to think about that" instead of "yes." Notice when your chest tightens and breathe into it, not away from it. Your body knows the truth your mind denies: you’re not broken. You’re rebuilding.
You’ll learn to hear your own voice over the noise. And one day, you’ll look back at that exhausted, overworked younger self and whisper: I see you. I’m here now.
— Tracy Carlson, drawing the line
Written by Tracy Carlson — 05:22, 02 January 2026 (CST)