The “narrative self” refers to the part of our brain that tells us stories (narratives) about ourselves. We can experience it as ongoing, and often critical.
In this exercise, we’re exploring that which motivates the narrative self.
- Bring to mind a situation where our inner voice was criticising us
- Bring to mind how it wants us to be
- Bring to mind how we are now, without being that way
- What do we feel in the body when these are both present? Is there a tension?
- Give particular attention to the way we are now. Aside from the way the inner voice is saying we should be, are we actually okay?
- Is it okay to be how we are now?
- If it is okay to be how we are now, do we need to be how the voice suggests?
Repeat this exercise regularly, checking out what lies behind this inner critical voice. Further explorations:
- Is it “me” that is doing the criticising?
- If it is “me” doing the criticising, how can it be criticising a different “me”? (How many me’s are there?!?)
- If it isn’t “me”, what effect does that have on its “rightness”? How compelled am I to believe it? Or not?
- Is there a “should” included in this inner voice? Where is that “should”? Can you find it in experience?