I’ve got a new project I’m working on.

It’s a dystopian sci-fi of sorts. Dystopian is my favorite genre to read. Sometimes, I’ll lie and say it’s fantasy just to fit in, but it’s not. It’s dystopian. Books like Hunger Games and Maze Runner had a huge impact on my early teen years, and the genre has continued to impress me as I’ve grown up. There’s just something about total societal collapse that I find intriguing.

I’ve had to research the end of the world a ton for this project. I’ve also been incredibly stressed about this project. I want it to live up to the standard of the genre. I want it to be impactful, to be unique! I want it to be perfect.

And thus, my want for it to be perfect has led to it being the exact opposite. It’s hard to write when the standard is so far above you.

When God speaks to you.

Believe it or not, I struggle against anxiety quite a bit.

“No!” You gasp. “You, a creative, emotional personality type, struggle with anxiety? The horror!”

Dramatically, I lean against my throne, an arm draped over my forehead. “It’s true.” I whisper. “I do.”

“Okay, Alli.” You cross your arms. “What does your new writing project and anxiety have in common?”

Well, let me tell you!

Anxiety and The End of The World.

I was having an emotional breakdown, you know, as you do, and was praying to God. I sat huddled in my room, my bible and journal open, praying and whispering, trying to figure out how to move on. Finally, I cried out to God and told him that what I was experiencing felt like the end of the world. Then, I heard his quiet whisper.

“The end of the world is the end of the world, Alli.”

It was a revolutionary concept.

The end of the world is the end of the world and nothing else. That project that’s due that you’re stressed about, the relationship you’re worried about, your future decisions, your past—none of it is the end of the world, so stop treating it like it is!

I have a tendency to spiral downward when it comes to my writing. My inner critic takes control and makes business decisions it has no authority to make. But the end of the world is the end of the world, and nothing else.

When your inner critic is out of control or when you find yourself in a downward spiral, I want you to think that phrase to yourself. Ask, “Is this the end of the world?” And if it’s not, maybe calm down a bit, huh? At least, that’s what I’ll try to do.

What phrase or questions do you ask yourself to calm down? What helps bring the voice of your inner critic into control? Tell me in the comments below!

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Sometimes, the voice of our inner critic is so loud…
but did you know that there are different personality types your inner critic can have?

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