We are not islands unto ourselves, completely in control of the world around us or the people we share our lives with. In fact, a focus on individualism has created some of the most toxic narratives we have about ourselves.

However, even within a collective community of deep support and abundance, we have our own unique experience. No one knows our thoughts, our emotions, our sensations better than we do, and it’s up to us to find ways to honor that wisdom and, when appropriate, to communicate it to those around us.

Our inner critic(s), as mean and as cruel as they may be, are ultimately trying to keep us safe, to protect us from a world that our inner self knows can be violent, isolating, and scary. But for most of us, thanks to the messages of the world around us and the ways our parents or caregivers spoke to us, our inner critic has positioned itself front and center in how we speak to ourselves and our bodies when in reality our inner critic is one of many aspects of self that deserve to be consulted and listened to.

Our inner critic LOVES to compare us to others, to point out all the things we aren’t doing right, to insult us into smallness, because many of us have learned that a certain amount of safety (or at a minimum familiarity) comes with smallness.

And the systems and institutions with the most power certainly want us feeling this deep sense of fear because it keeps us buying their products and keeps us away from our power.

So, I want to know what feels luscious and ripe to bursting in your life right now. What flavors set your senses alight? What smells bring a moan from your lips or a smile to your face? What textures feel utterly satisfying these days? What wants to savored and delighted in? What do you WANT?