When the Click Happened: In the Middle of Everyday Life

It was such a small, ordinary moment serving dinner.

A bit too much chicken on the plate, a quick correction, and then suddenly, an unexpected voice in the head:

"What a stupid thing to do…"

Sharp. Critical. Familiar.

For a second, it was confusing where did that come from? 

But instead of letting it spiral, something shifted. The inner parent stepped in gently:

"No need to talk like that here."

And just like that, the noise softened. The moment calmed. Dinner continued.

But then came something even more surprising a wave of warmth, love, and gratitude rising from deep within. Almost like a thank-you. The inner child had felt protected, acknowledged, heard.

It wasn’t about chicken anymore. It was about catching the voice that had long gone unchecked, and choosing to answer it differently.

Sometimes healing doesn’t arrive with grand breakthroughs. Sometimes it comes in the quietest of choices when self-compassion shows up right where self-criticism once lived.

That’s when the click happened.

When was the last time you noticed your inner critic speaking—and how did you (or could you) respond with the voice of your inner parent instead?