Affirmations vs. The Inner Critic: Using Power Mantras as Ammo Against Your Resistance Gremlin Squad

You’ve done it. You’ve forged a beautiful, badass Vibrational Sledgehammer. It’s personal, it's powerful, it's a little bit weird. You stand in your 'King Kong' pose, take a deep breath, and declare it to the universe:

“I command my financial world with the calm authority of a starship captain!”

And in the quiet that follows, a little voice from the back of your brain sneers, “Starship captain? Dude, you paid your credit card bill two days late. Sit down.”

...F*ck.

This is the moment most people give up. They feel the sting of that inner critic, that Heckler Gremlin—and assume the affirmation isn't working. They see it as a failure.

This is a grave mistake.

The critic’s rebuttal is not a sign of failure. It is the first volley in the real battle. It’s proof that your affirmation is working. You’ve rattled the cage.

You’ve threatened the miserable, small status quo, and the gremlin in charge of keeping you there is starting to panic.

This is where the fun begins. Your affirmation is now  a weapon, and iit’s time to learn how to use it in combat.

Part 1: Know Your Enemy—The Goon in the Back Row

First, understand who you're fighting. That critical voice is not you. It is not the voice of Truth.

It's a primitive, fear-based program in your brain whose only job is to keep you "safe." And to this dumb program, "safe" means familiar, unchanged, and small. It's the ‘Don’t-Get-Eaten-by-a-Tiger’ Gremlin, and it thinks your big, bold new affirmation is a f*cking tiger.

Its tactics are predictable and boring:

It uses your past as evidence: "Remember that time you failed? You're going to do that again."

It manufactures worst-case scenarios: "If you try that, you'll be humiliated and everyone will laugh at you."

It uses comparison as a weapon: "Look at them. They're a real 'starship captain.' You're just playing dress-up."

Your job is not to believe this goon. Your job is to shut it down so you can get on with your life.

Part 2: The Rules of Engagement (3 Tactical Responses)

Never, ever get into a logical argument with your inner critic. It’s like wrestling with a pig in mud—you both get dirty, and the pig likes it. Arguing with it gives it power. Instead, use these judo moves to disarm it.

Tactic 1: The 'Thank You, Next' Dismissal

This is your go-to move for low-level gremlin chatter. It’s a move of pure, condescending indifference. When the critic pipes up, you simply acknowledge it and dismiss it without engagement.

Gremlin: “This affirmation stuff is stupid. It’s not going to work.”

You (calmly, in your head): “Thanks for sharing.”

Then you take a breath and repeat your affirmation OUT LOUD, maybe even a little louder.

You are training your brain to categorize the critic's voice as irrelevant background noise, like annoying elevator music or a car alarm down the street. It’s happening, but it has nothing to do with you.

Tactic 2: The 'Absurdity Magnifier'

The critic’s power comes from the shred of plausibility in its fear-mongering. Your job is to take that shred and blow it up into such a ridiculous, cartoonish caricature that it loses all its emotional charge. You laugh at it.

Gremlin: “If you launch this project, you’re going to fail completely.”

You (with a dramatic internal voice): “You’re right! I’m going to fail so epically they’ll write songs about it! Statues will be built in honor of my glorious, freedom-tower-twerking-party of a failure! It will be a legendary flameout!”

You can’t be afraid of something you’re actively laughing at. This tactic deflates the fear balloon instantly.

Tactic 3: The 'YES, AND...' Judo Flip

This is an advanced technique borrowed from improv comedy. Instead of resisting the critic's energy, you agree with its premise and then immediately redirect it toward your goal. You hijack its momentum.

Gremlin: “You have no experience being a confident public speaker.”

You: “YES, I have no experience being a boring, traditional speaker, AND that’s exactly why my unique, raw perspective is going to be so refreshing and powerful for the audience.”

Gremlin: “You’re too weird to fit in.”

You: “YES, I am too weird to fit into boring boxes, AND that’s what makes me a magnetic, once-in-a-lifetime force of nature.”

This move doesn't just disarm the critic; it absorbs its energy and adds it to your own attack.

Part 3: The 'Win Log'—Your Gremlin-Proof Shield

Your critic has a huge library of your past failures running on a loop. You need to build a new library.

Get a notebook. Call it your Win Log.

Every single day, your only job is to write down one tiny, undeniable piece of evidence that your affirmation is becoming true.

Affirmation: "I am a money magnet."

• Win Log: "Found a quarter on the sidewalk. That counts."

• Win Log: "My friend bought me coffee. Evidence of abundance."

  
  

Affirmation: "I am a vessel of creative genius."

• Win Log: "Had one cool idea in the shower. Wrote it down."

  
  

This seems silly, but it is profoundly powerful. You are building a new dataset for your brain. When the Gremlin pulls up a failure from 2012, you can pull up your Win Log from yesterday and say, "Cool story, bro. My data is more current."

The voice in your head doesn’t call the shots. You do. The presence of a critic is a green light, not a red flag. It’s the sign that you’re on the right track, moving into new territory, and kicking up enough dust to get the old guard nervous.

Good. Let them be nervous.

Combat FAQ

Q: What if the critic’s voice is really loud, mean, and overwhelming?

• A: A loud gremlin is a scared gremlin. It means you are this close to a breakthrough. Don't back down. Double down. This is the perfect time for a Rage Dance. Drown it out with music and movement. Your physical power is always greater than its phantom voice.

Q: Will the inner critic ever go away completely?

• A: Probably not entirely, and that’s okay. The goal isn't silence. The goal is irrelevance. With practice, its roar becomes a squeak. It goes from being a rampaging lion in the center of your consciousness to a tiny, annoying chihuahua yapping on the distant sidewalk. You hear it, you roll your eyes, and you keep walking.

  
  

Big love, -Heath Co-founder

About the Author

Heath Armstrong is the Co-founder of Rage Create, an artist, and a firm believer in using unconventional tools to smash through creative blocks. He's dedicated his work to helping people escape spiritual fluff and get into tangible, weird, and joyful action.

Rage Create helps creative maniacs (like you!) laugh loudly

and think deeply on this funky creative journey through space.