I had an appointment with the head of the Employment Industry here in Vernon, BC. to present my new workshop idea entitled "Finding Your Passion." I enthusiastically explained how connecting with our innate wisdom is key in career decision making – indeed life. How my program was also about diffusing the inner critic’s blocks to our creativity and, within the last module, designing a vision board with one’s dream and next steps.

The manager let me know my idea had merit but lacked the main criteria needed for a program to be funded by Service Canada specifically: a 'Return To Work Action Plan' (acronym RT-WAP) with a specific job goal for each participant. As I heard him say, “RT-WAP” I felt aWAP!

Of course! I knew this criteria. I had worked fifteen years in the employment industry facilitating career change workshops at our local college. In that moment I knew my work and my mission - arising anew from dark ashes over the past year - was not about RT-WAPs. RT-WAP’s were never my strength.

Leaving the employment agency I went directly to my Toastmaster’s meeting. The speaker’s message spoke directly to me.

Society and school tell us to strengthen our weaknesses. Instead, this speaker proclaimed: Find out what your strength is and build upon that! If you already are a 6 or 7 out of 10 doing something, with practice and determination, you could excel at that something beyond most others. You could be amazing!

Congruently at that same meeting, most surprisingly I was given an amazing public validation of my public speaking skills – and I wasn’t even presenting a speech this day! These messages clearly pointed to my Way.

Still after the ‘rejection’ of my workshop idea, I fell flat. The old inner critic was telling me how I should’ve asked for a job years ago (I’ve had my own business most of my life and it didn’t occur to me to apply for a job!) How I don’t have enough education/knowledge to deliver my own workshop (this inner criticism despite years of proof to the contrary!)

Also, the loss of the Career Assessment Program (CAP) I had so successfully facilitated for fifteen years haunted me as the manager spoke of the new, wonderful program and facilitator who had replaced me and my CAP program.

When I came home I knew I was in a slippery place. “STOP. STOP. STOP. Do not let the inner critic derail your dream, yourself,” I heard within. As I then prayed and breathed and sat with my cats a comforting insight came to me.

Rather than chastising myself for not applying for a job I saw how I had boldly expressed my passion and declared my mission to this manager. For many people the thought of going in and sharing a business idea with the head of a large corporation would be totally foreign and impossible. I saw how being self-employed and presenting my business ideas has served me most of my life.

It is me expressing my passion. The inner critic accusing me of failing to apply for a job was replaced with some much needed self appreciation of the courage and passion I’d expressed!

I asked my God to let me know what else I needed to learn about my inner critic and this situation. Next morning I awoke from a dream wherein a black snake slithered toward me upon my kitchen table. I would grab the snake just before it could fall into my lap and then, repeatedly throw it away… only my throw lacked force. The snake would fall upon the table a short distance away and begin slithering toward me again. I was afraid but also in awe of the muscled, oh-so-alive! energy of that snake in my hand.

When I turned to the animal cards, based upon ancient First Nation wisdom, I read how snake medicine is very heavy ‘magic.’ Snake people are bitten by poisonous venom they must transmute or die (aren't all of us bitten in life?) The lesson is to not reject life experiences or allow the inner critic to poison us. Accept everything and transmute it into what can be used or learned.

What brilliant wisdom. I transmuted my “rejection” from the employment office. I have boldly begun marketing my business again and saying to the universe, “I am ready, willing and able to return to the workshop business!” I saw how my God spoke to me through my Toastmaster’s meeting affirming, “Here are your gifts! Doubt not! Fear not!”

And this dear reader, are some of the ways I deal with the inner critic who comes to visit time and again. If you would like to read more ideas about transforming inner critic comments click here. Read one of Teresa's monthly "Your Lifework" Ezines (called 'Know Thy Self') to see how journal writing can help you transform the inner critic!