By Dr Liz Sparkes 

 

Transforming the critical voice 

 

‘Don’t turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That’s where the light enters you’, Rumi knew that pretending that certain aspects of ourselves don’t exist wasn’t the way to transformation. 

The critic, the voice within that holds us back, tells us that we are not good enough, that we shouldn’t speak up; that is what keeps us stuck. These unacknowledged parts of ourselves are often close to fear. Fear of what might happen if we acknowledge them , fear of the truth of who we are. However, as Gene Gendlin describes, we come to know through awareness that, that which appears negative does actually contain trapped suppressed positive life energy. The energy is twisted and blocked and gentle mindfulness or awareness is often all that is needed to allow the release and transformation. 

 

We place parts of ourselves in exile...