***ELEVATE YOUR SELF-LOVE, CONFIDENCE AND PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT - Part One

Does your inner critic ever plummet your self-esteem with negative self-talk about your appearance, your abilities or your life? Take advantage of proven tools guaranteed to help you turn your inner critic into an empowering inner coach more valuable than all the gold in Fort Knox.

The tips in this article will help you revise your inner critic's job description. You'll retrain your critical inner voice to encourage you to an even higher level of self-respect and self-love. Because your self-judgments will vanish and your confidence and body image will improve, the external world will respond to you with more support and positive comments. Fewer "difficult people" will cross your path or confront you. Conversations that you previously feared would be difficult will seem much easier. Ready to get started?

1. Instead of judging your inner critic or struggling to get rid of it, remember that what we resist, persists. Instead of battling the negative voice inside you, say "Hello" to it in a calm, nonjudgmental way. You'll gain amazing freedom when you become an impartial observer of your inner critic. Instead of exhausting yourself by flailing away at a detractor that dances here and there with the agility of a stunt artist, just make a simple comment, "Thank you for sharing your point of view. Now it's time for a new thought." Once your inner critic has been acknowledged, it will no longer scream for your attention. In fact, it will take a long snooze.

2. Now you can develop more self-respect and self-love by befriending your critical voice. Treasure this opportunity. You're reading this article because you're intelligent and you know that you're capable of changing anything you don't like about your life. This means you can quickly and easily sort through negative internal comments that bother you. Most of these critical statements are based on unexamined beliefs. Become a mind-clutter detective. Sort through the disarray and decide what's true, "I can improve this part of how I show up in the world but I'm happy with this other aspect of my appearance. Since I'm the one person in the world I'll always live with, I'm the only person I need to please."

3. Stop comparing yourself to other people, especially unrealistic, idealized body images portrayed by the media and Hollywood. Gain freedom by noticing the ways that you're perfect just as you are. Your body type, your voice and your life purpose were custom-designed for YOU. Your experiences are tailor made by the loving creative force that dwells inside every cell of your body. Your life unfolds with flawless precision. You're presented with the perfect challenges you need so you can learn and grow while you provide the extraordinary gifts that your unique DNA has prepared you to provide. Begin with one aspect of yourself that you've judged, like, "I'm overweight" or "I'm too short." Ask yourself a question, "What's the easiest and fastest way to accept myself just as I am right now?" You'll meet self-improvement goals much faster when you accept your current situation. If you ask this question at night, your dreams will provide helpful information. If you pose your query during the day, thoughtfully jot down insights as they emerge and review them to detect helpful patterns. If self-judgment appears, repeat the key question, "What's the easiest and fastest way to accept myself just as I am right now?" You'll be grateful for the clarity you gain when you record your insights and review them later.

What would you be doing right now if you were 100 percent in love with yourself and your life, even though you're as imperfect as the rest of us? We're all learning and growing by having a human experience. Self-acceptance . . . effortlessly living as Your Authentic Self, will produce profound personal empowerment and freedom. Relationships and communication will be much easier because the world reflects the level of our self-love back to us so we can learn and grow.

Be sure to read Parts Two and Three of this series of articles, posted at http://CoachingByDoris.com/innercriticarticles/ . You'll gain even more proven tips that will elevate your confidence, self-love and personal empowerment.