We all do it — the comment under our breath, the sharp thought in traffic, the eye-roll during a conversation, or the self-judgment in the mirror. In this episode,Dr. Wendy Bazilian invites you to go beyond just pausing the inner critic — and start replacing it with something better.

Join Wendy for a refreshingly real and research-backed exploration of why criticism shows up so often (even when we don’t mean for it to), and what we can gently practice instead. Learn my CLEAR™ method for pausing and redirecting criticism, hear what neuroscience and behavior change research have to say about shifting our habits, and take part in a mindful minutedesigned to create space, soften your thoughts, and reconnect with curiosity, calm, and clarity.

Together, we’ll make room for a more thoughtful, compassionate, and grounded way of moving through our 1,000 waking minutes.

 WE DISCUSS:

(1:32) A morning moment with my daughter that sparked this episode — and the wisdom of ‘practicing the practices’

(10:01) Why criticism feels so automatic — and why it’s not really our fault (hello, brain wiring)

(14:00) Quieting the negativity loop and understanding habit loops with Dr. Judson Brewer

(18:29) The two systems of thinking from Daniel Kahneman — and how criticism comes from the faster one

(20:28) Beginner’s mind and Zen teachings on curiosity over certainty

(22:50) Why self-compassion matters: Science-backed benefits of positive internal dialogue 

(24:55) A Mindful Minute: A short guided practice to shift from critique to curiosity

(28:39) The CLEAR™ method: A 5-step process to catch and shift the pattern of critique

(34:47) Encouragement to try this with a friend — and how even one day of trying can create ripple effects

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

• Follow on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes
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• Visit the website: wendybazilian.com
• 
  
• Email me: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com
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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

You become what you practice.

And if you've been moving

through your day with a

little more criticism than calm

lately, maybe it's time to

press pause.

And that's what I'm exploring

today.

We experience 1,000 waking

minutes on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

you're listening to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I can't wait to connect

with you here with practical

ways to eat well, move

daily, and be healthy.

To optimize every waking minute

you live for a happier,

healthier life.

Thank you for sharing some

of your waking minutes with

me today.

Let's get started.

I'm saying yes to better

days, yes.

I'm on my way, yes.

It's gonna be okay, yeah.

Welcome back to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

I'm so glad you're here.

Today we're doing something that

sounds simple, but is actually

kind of radical.

Today we're taking a break

just one day from criticism.

Not forever, not even for

a week, but just for

today.

A pause to pointing out

what's wrong with the world,

with other people, and yes,

with ourselves.

Funny enough, this came up

recently with my six-year

-old daughter, whom I love

to talk with and also

talk about at times.

It came up when we

were talking about words and

getting a start on our

day and what was coming

up.

We have a little saying,

a little routine in the

morning, typically.

In fact, I had it

made into wooden letters that

are posted on a wall

in a room in our

house.

I say, "what's in store

for today?

I wonder..."

One of us says one

part and one says the

other, but it always starts

with, "what's in store for

today?

I wonder..."

That morning I asked her

what she was thinking about

for school and what the

day might hold, what week

it is.

We have A weeks and

B weeks and different things

happen on them.

Then she turned it around

to me, as we often

do.

She says, "well, what about

you, mama?

What's in store for today?

What's your podcast about this

week?"

She asked.

I said, "well, it's about

criticism and how we all

kind of need to take

a break from it from

time to time," starting with

myself.

This is the impetus here

because we all get wrapped

in that routine.

But at that moment, she

looked at me, learning so

many words, understanding things and

certainly experiencing them.

But she said, "what's criticism?"

She's experienced it.

We all have.

She's witnessed it.

And she's still learning about

sort of nuance and definitions

and hearing context and everything.

So we talked about it

just a little and I

tried to make it.

I found it actually somewhat

challenging to verbalize a little

bit more about criticism, which

helped me for today, hopefully,

to explain it and what

we're going to do with

you.

But I explained it to

her as simple as I

could about when someone says

something that makes you maybe

feel small.

Or when you're corrected, but

not to help, but to

point something out just to

do it.

And we even touched a

little bit on constructive criticism,

which is where I sort

of turned next, because sometimes

the feedback, the constructive criticism

that we're trained to do,

it helps us grow.

And it's kind and it

can be kind.

And it's even asked for.

So she listened and she

nodded and then out of

nowhere she asked, but "how

do you keep from criticizing

the world?"

And that just sort of

stopped me.

It sort of floored me

because isn't that the question?

But how do we stop

from picking apart the world

when there is at times

seemingly so much that frustrates

us or disappoints us or

just gets under our skin?

So I told her, I

don't exactly know all the

time.

I don't always stay away

from it.

But that's why I'm making

this episode, because it reminded

me of some of the

practices and how we can

better ourselves from making the

practice.

But then she said, and

I'll never forget this.

I think I'll probably take

this into episode after episode

and you'll hear me say

this again.

Okay, well, "tell me the

practices," she said.

"Tell me the practices.

Then I'll start practicing the

practices."

So I wrote that one

down.

I mean, "tell me the

practices so I can start

practicing the practices."

That is just gold.

It's so good.

And that's what we're going

to do today.

I'm going to share some

practices.

We're going to talk about

a little bit about why

we fall into the 'criticism

trap'.

We're going to talk about

how we can take breaks

from it and what happens

when we do.

And I'm going to share

those practices, the ones that

I'm working on as well.

Because the truth is, let's

think about it for a

second.

We're all doing it.

Criticism.

It shows up everywhere.

And it shows up all

the time.

It's not just those big

dramatic critiques that we make

or that others make.

It's the little ones.

It's the ones that sneak

in.

It's the ones we don't

even clock as criticism.

Because they're just like part

of the day.

They're like the running thoughts

that go through our mind.

It's like a low-grade,

constant hum or musical background.

Not a happy musical background,

mind you, because I love

music.

But like a constant commentary

that rides alongside.

Like, for example, when you're

driving.

Let's pick some scenarios here.

You're driving.

The person in front of

you is going just slow

enough to be annoying.

But not slow enough for

you to pass them.

And you start narrating the

life choices through your windshield

of what they could be

doing right now.

Anyone relate?

Or how about the customer

service calls?

It seems endless.

Certain days, certain weeks.

You're on hold with the

customer service line.

And the recording is saying,

"your call is very important

to us."

And you're like, is it

though, Mr. Amazon Automaton?

You know, is it?

Is it really?

The weather?

Oh, my goodness.

Talking about the weather.

It's too hot.

It's too cold.

What even is this wind

outside today?

It's too dark, too early.

And daylight savings... don't even

get me started with that

one.

So we do it also

to other people.

We criticize other people we

don't even know.

You know, we do it

in the coffee shop when

we're in line behind someone

and we're overhearing someone ordering

what we think is overly

complicated, double latte, grande, cinnamon,

syrupy, foamy, you know.

I sort of made that

up just a little bit

for effect, of course.

And we do it sometimes

when children are having meltdowns

in public.

We see eyes roll or

commentary happening.

Maybe you've even done it

at times.

And we do it when

someone dares FaceTime in a

waiting room when we're just

trying to take a moment

to breathe.

And, oh, my gosh, I

think we've all experienced the

loud speaking individual in a

seat when people are boarding

the plane, making the deal

and having to get it

done before the plane takes

off.

Really?

We all need to hear

that?

The neighbor.

Think about the neighbor, our

lovely neighbors who bring in

their trash, not just the

way that you would do

it.

Sometimes we critique things as

simple as that.

And then there's ourselves.

We do it in the

mirror.

We do it to our

bodies.

We do it about our

jammed up inboxes and the

'to do' list.

Oh, my gosh.

The to do list.

We critique it.

Then we do it when

we forget to call someone

back and when someone forgets

to call us back.

So really, these are real

things.

Some of it's fair.

Some of it's fair and

real frustrations.

Some of it's real inefficiencies

with the world.

But do we need to

critique it?

And do we get into

sort of a cycle of

it being so easy, that

systematically, as they say with

the brain, the nerves set

fire together, wire together.

It becomes easier and easier

to replicate that as we

move through a day that

as we look back can

be filled with criticism.

So we're not wrong.

Our Wi-Fi should not

drop mid-Zoom.

People should merge together politely

on the highway in zigzag

fashion or whatever that's called.

And I will openly admit

that Daylight Saving Time is

not my favorite.

But when you add it

all up, we can spend

hours of our precious waking

minutes each day commenting and

critiquing, noticing what's off and

sharing it.

Sort of clogging our 'mental

inbox', so to speak.

Online, at work, in text,

in our own heads.

It becomes almost like a

background noise.

And sometimes even a way

we connect with others, like

venting and bonding or laughing

over what's not working.

Here's the thing, though:

A lot of us are

actually trained to do this.

And this is something that

I think about at times.

And it's a really interesting

contrast or not quite a

conflict, but something to reconcile.

In school, we actually learn

to analyze and assess... to

edit.

In work, we're expected to

find problems and fix them.

Critique is sometimes seen as

a sign of intelligence and

even leadership.

But when the skill spills

over into everything all the

time, it becomes the lens

we start to see the

world through.

And it can get exhausting.

It's like running a Yelp

review of your entire day.

Can you imagine?

And sometimes we can forget

to just live it or

focus on some alternatives that

we could be practicing instead.

So today's episode really is

like a little mini reset

on that.

And you can do this

periodically.

It's a break or a

little breath in that kind

of momentum.

And it's certainly not about

pretending that everything's great with

the world.

It's not about toxic positivity

or keeping quiet when something

really matters.

But it's about choosing when

to engage and when to

maybe soften the moment.

It's about noticing instead of

having the critical voice just

show up.

Noticing there may be a

choice on what comes next.

And maybe just letting one

or two of those moments

go.

Because here's an idea I

want to leave you with.

You become what you practice.

And most of us have

gotten quite good at practicing

criticism.

But what if just for

a day we practice something

else?

So that's what we're exploring

today.

The science of why we

do it.

The benefits from taking a

break.

The personal cost of staying

in that loop.

But the possibilities of what

opens when we take a

pause.

And I'll show you the

practices that if I share

you, you can "practice the

practices,"

as my daughter will say.

With a simple five-part

framework.

I keep it simple.

And hopefully a mindful and

memorable statement that will help

you.

I'm right in the middle

of real life.

One day without criticism.

And it can have profound

ripple effects.

So take a breath.

And let's settle in.

This might be your "Can

I just get a minute?"

type of moment.

The kind where you're not

asking for miracles on this.

But just taking a pause.

And the pause is about

criticism.

Let's now talk about what

happens when we actually try

this.

I'm going to talk about

the ROIs.

The benefits.

Some science when we step

away from the constant hum

of critiquing.

Even if just for a

day.

So while there's no specific

study entitled the effects of

a criticism free day.

Yet.

I love the word yet.

Not yet.

What we do have is

some research that comes from

neuroscience.

Behavioral psychology and mindfulness that

points to the power of

taking a break from the

negative loops and reactive patterns

that happen in humans.

And it shows what can

happen when we create even

a little space and choose

a different way of showing

up.

So here are some benefits.

I have five of them

or the returns on investment

of giving yourself a criticism

free day.

You might even start to

feel the shift in a

few minutes of trying.

And let's start by thinking

about the brain.

So ROI number one.

The benefit number one is

quieting the negativity loop.

In other words, breaking our

reflex to critique.

One of the first things

that happens when we pause

criticism, even a little, is

we begin to quiet the

negativity loop in the brain.

Dr. Rick Hansen, a psychologist

and a senior fellow at

UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science

Center.

Isn't that a cool name?

And a New York Times

bestselling author.

And he explains that the

brain is evolved to focus

more on negative experiences than

positive ones.

And why is that?

Well, because our ancient ancestors

had to survive.

So the brain developed a

kind of like hyper vigilance,

a focus and a bias

really toward what's wrong or

what could go wrong.

And so this negativity bias

means that we tend to

dwell in the criticism and

problems of ourselves, of others,

of the world, of our

environment.

It may have helped us

avoid danger and might still

actually in the past.

In modern times, it can

actually promote and lead to

chronic stress or self-doubt

or fatigue, emotional and physical,

really.

But the good news is

that Dr. Hansen has always

said that we can deliberately

build positive experiences in the

brain.

We can actually rewire the

patterns over time.

As he puts it, and

this is a quote, "weave

good experiences into the fabric

of your brain and yourself,"

so that you can weave

those good experiences.

And it really starts with

awareness and a little practice,

of course.

So when you take a

pause from that critical loop,

when you catch yourself, even

choose a different path, you're

not just being nice.

You're literally shifting the wiring

in your brain towards something

more positive and even more

resilient.

So benefit number two, another

major benefit of trying a

criticism-free day is that

it helps us break the

habit loop, that automatic cycle

of critique that many of

us don't even realize that

we're running in.

So Dr. Judd Brewer, he's

an MD and PhD researcher

at Brown University, and he's

a leading expert on mindfulness

and behavior change.

He talks about how our

brains form what he calls

habit loops.

And here's how it works.

There's a trigger, a behavior,

and a reward.

Maybe that sounds familiar, and

maybe that sounds very animalistic,

us humans as animals.

A trigger, a behavior, and

a reward.

So in this case, the

trigger might be a mistake.

The behavior is criticizing yourself,

maybe silently, but maybe out

loud.

And then the reward is

a sense of control over

that, or certainty, or maybe

just a familiar feeling of,

well, that's what I always

do, that type of criticism.

But over time, these loops

can become automatic.

We react without even realizing

it.

And the problem is, it's

a false sense of control,

and it's really not relief

at all.

It doesn't actually help.

It just keeps the loop

going.

It's sort of like the

hamster wheel, just running, running,

running.

So when we break from

criticism, when we concretely and

purposely do, even just once

or twice during a day,

we can interrupt the cycle.

We can create space between

trigger and reaction.

And in that space, that's

where freedom lives.

That's where change can begin.

So Dr. Brewer, and I

want to quote him as

well, he says, "A habit

loop forms as the brain

cycles and stores information to

simplify tasks.

It's important to understand how

these loops occur and identify

how some habits become problematic

in your life."

So it's not about any

kind of magical perfection, but

about pattern recognition, about the

power of choosing something different

and building that awareness as

we break the habit loop.

So another benefit from stepping

back from criticism is giving

yourself a chance to shift

from snap judgments to thoughtful

choices.

So psychologist and Nobel laureate

Daniel Kahneman, he wrote the

book, you may have heard

of it as a wild

bestseller around the world, 'Thinking:

Fast and Slow.'

He explains about two systems

that we have in our

brains.

System one is fast and

automatic.

It runs on instinct.

It's the one that blurts

out, "what were we thinking?!"

before you've even had the

thought sometimes.

And then there's system two.

It's slower.

It's more deliberate.

It's the part that pauses

and considers and says, you

know, "what else could be

going on here?"

Or let me think about

that for a moment.

So here's the thing with

this.

Criticism usually comes from the

first quick fire system.

Fast.

It's automatic.

It's the mental version of

like slamming on the brakes

without checking the mirrors first

and seeing if it's necessary.

But if you give yourself

a second, a breath, you

can enter into system two

and you can call it

in.

And that's where you can

get some perspective, maybe some

empathy.

And let's be honest, a

little more wisdom probably as

well.

So taking a break from

criticism isn't just about being

nicer.

And I said that before.

It's about really building mental

muscle and can let us

choose our response instead of

reacting without thinking through that

fast automatic system.

And it's a shift from

reacting on autopilot to choosing

and getting yourself back in

the driver's seat.

Those drivers out there, right?

We talk about the criticism

that I mentioned before.

Other drivers.

And then we get out

of the car and we

go, oh, hi, friend.

You know, we've just been

talking about what they were

driving.

And then we get out

and we see it's someone

that we know.

We're going to break some

of that today and laugh

at ourselves a little bit

because we're human.

So the next benefit of

a criticism free day is

you can choose curiosity over

certainty by inviting what's called

a beginner's mind.

So you're choosing curiosity about

the situation over certainty that

this is something worth criticizing.

And this idea comes from

Zen Buddhism and especially from

the teacher Shunryu Suzuki, who

helped bring Zen philosophy to

the West.

He passed in 1971, but

he's largely attributed to really

bringing many of the ideas

and philosophies of Zen Buddhism

to the West originally.

And he talked about something

called the Beginner's Mind.

It's a mindset of approaching

life and people and conversations

and even mistakes with openness,

with a sense of maybe

you don't know everything.

There's more to see and

more to learn, that there's

more possibilities than you assumed

at first.

And Suzuki famously said, "In

the beginner's mind, there are

many possibilities.

In the experts, there are

few."

And I don't know about

you, but that really makes

me pause.

Because the truth is, criticism

often comes from a place

of certainty, like you're for

sure.

Because we think that we

know already what someone meant.

We think we know why

they did what they're doing

or are doing what they're

doing.

And we think we already

know how the story is

going to play out.

But when we practice letting

go of the tight grip

maybe of being right or

being the expert in the

moment, again, we can create

some space.

We create that Beginner's Mind,

the openness for listening and

for learning and something softer

and maybe more gentle to

yourself and for others.

So stepping back from critiques

is also stepping into curiosity.

And you know I always

like to turn us away

from the negative toward something.

If you're taking something away,

what are you stepping into?

What do you create space

for?

It's about stepping into curiosity.

And this shift is not

just philosophical.

It changes how you can

relate to people and how

you may relate to yourself.

And finally, the most personal

benefit of all, when you

pause your criticism, especially your

self-criticism, you can create

space for self-compassion.

So Tara Brach, a clinical

psychologist, a renowned thought leader

in this space, and also

a trained Buddhist teacher, and

has a podcast who I

can aspire to.

She has over millions of

people listening to her every

episode.

But she talks a lot

about this.

She reminds us that one

of the most powerful ways

to break the cycle of

judgment is to treat ourselves

with the same kindness we

might offer to a good

friend.

You've heard a version of

this before, certainly.

Not pity on someone, not

letting ourselves off the hook

in a hollow way, but

real compassion.

And she says, and I

quote, "Whenever we're trapped in self-judgment, our first and wisest step toward freedom is to develop compassion for ourselves." And

I think that's just such

a beautiful way to put

it.

Because so often we say

things to ourselves we would

never say out loud to

someone else.

Things that are sharp and

dismissive and defeating.

But when we choose to

stop even briefly and ask,

"what would kindness sound like

right now?"

We can shift the entire

tone of our day.

So a criticism-free day

isn't just about being less

reactive on the outside.

It's about being more caring

on the inside.

It's a practice, and it's

one that can pay you

back the returns on investment

every time you choose.

Okay, so maybe you've been

nodding along with some of

these ideas.

Maybe you've even been noticing

how your own inner voice

and what it's saying, you

might be noticing a little

more closely as we're talking

about this topic.

And all of this is

part of the practice as

well.

So right now, before we

actually get into the practices

that will help you practice

the practices, I want to

offer a moment, you know,

our Mindful Minute, so that

we can practice this a

little bit in real time.

It'll be our opportunity to

pause and anchor ourselves and

gently explore what it feels

like to create space from

criticism.

And maybe enter and put

into it something that can

be softer.

So our Mindful Minute today

is about moving from criticism

to clarity.

So let's first prepare briefly.

If you're safe to do

so, get yourself comfortable.

If you're driving, still pay

attention, but come back to

this later.

Let your feet rest gently

on the floor.

Feel grounded.

Maybe dig your toes in

for a second, then release.

Dig your heels in for

a second.

Release so you know you're

grounded.

Let your hands settle wherever

you are.

Maybe soften your gaze or

you can gently close your

eyes if it feels okay.

Let's take one slow preparation

breath in together through the

nose and out through the

mouth.

Okay, let's begin.

Bring to mind a recent

moment today or this week

when you felt that tug

of criticism.

Maybe it was toward someone

else.

Maybe it was toward yourself.

Nothing dramatic, just a quick

reaction or maybe a judgment

that you made.

Continue to breathe.

Just notice that moment.

And see it without fixing

it.

Label it maybe like judging

or reacting.

Sort of breathe through it.

Invite in a different voice.

What else might be going

on here?

Could I meet this moment

with curiosity?

And let that phrase, curiosity,

echo quietly through your last

couple breaths.

Now let that moment go.

Let it be.

There we have it.

A little bit more than

a minute there.

I had to let go

of the thing that was

coming into my mind.

It took a minute.

Sometimes it does.

But we just created a

little space.

You can shift something even

just by noticing.

And that's going to be

the practice.

It's about awareness.

It's about taking a breath.

It's about softening how our

mind is thinking at that

moment.

It's how we begin.

Thank you for sharing that

Mindful Minute with me.

So now it's time to

put it into practice.

We talked about why, why

stepping away from the constant

criticism can shift how we

feel and how we relate

and even how our brains

function.

And we've taken that minute

together to notice, get sort

of lost in that, and

to release it, stepping into

and toward clarity and into

curiosity.

So now how we bring

this into real life, into

our 1,000 waking minutes

each day.

As you may know already

if you've listened before, I

like to try to keep

things simple and hopefully memorable,

something that you can tuck

in your back pocket for

when you need it most.

You say, oh, I remember

that.

Sometimes it takes a little

practice, but then we get

it.

So I've come up with

a little framework.

And it is one of

those rare moments when an

acronym actually kind of emerged

that actually is a word

that makes sense.

And it's a word that

fits the theme of today.

And the word is clear.

C-L-E-A-R.

Because when we step back

from criticism, especially the quick

and reactive things, we do

start to feel a little

clearer.

Our relationships, our choices, even

our inner dialogue that chatter.

So here it is, five

steps to help you create

a criticism-free day or

at least a few criticism

-free moments.

But I encourage you to

try the whole day.

Just keep coming back to

it.

Keep coming back to it.

And the best part is

you don't need anything fancy

here at all.

You just need a little

intention, little awareness to bring

to it, and five letters.

C in clear is Catch

it.

This is the first step

just to notice.

Catch the moment that the

critical thought shows up.

It might be about someone

else.

It might be about yourself.

It might be about that

coffee order or that driver

who cut you off.

Whatever it is, notice it.

Label it gently if that

helps like we did in

the mindful minute.

Is it judging?

Is it wanting to fix

something?

Here it is again.

Awareness is the first step

of beginning to change.

Catch it.

L - Let it pause.

Oh, my gosh, the pause.

Here's the part that feels

small but makes so much

difference.

Do nothing.

Take a beat.

Take a breath.

Close your lips.

Whatever it is, take a

pause.

Let it pause.

Don't react yet.

Don't post the comment.

Don't speak the sentence.

Take a breath and let

the moment breathe too.

You're starting to interrupt the

pattern when you take pauses.

We use this all the

time in all kinds of

things that we want to

make change in our behaviors,

in our workplace.

It's take a pause.

Let it pause.

And it can be powerful.

E, Explore with curiosity.

Here's that curiosity.

Explore.

Instead of defaulting to critique,

get curious.

Ask, what is going on

here?

What else might be true?

Always love that one.

What's missing?

What else might be true?

Or even, why is this

bothering me right now?

Why?

One of my favorites from

earlier that I talked about

is, I wonder what's behind

that choice.

I wonder what's behind that.

This is the Beginner's Mind

in action.

You're going to choose to

be open, curious instead of

certain.

Next, A - Ask.

Is it necessary or helpful

to criticize, to say something?

Not every thought needs to

become an action.

Not every reaction needs a

reaction.

Ask, is it necessary or

helpful?

Ask yourself, is this for

connection or correction?

Is this true?

Is this kind?

Is this needed?

This is a little nod

to that Buddhism's right speech

right there.

Sometimes the answer is yes.

And sometimes it's just not

the moment for that.

And R, Release or Rephrase.

Now you have a choice.

Because you have a choice.

You can let it go.

Release it.

You can let it go

entirely.

Maybe with a big breath.

Exhale.

On the exhale.

Or you can reframe it

into something kinder or more

useful.

Release or Rephrase.

You might try like a

phrase, "May I be well,

may they be well."

It's like a metta phrase

or a little mantra that

you can work through.

Or you might choose silence.

Or you might choose humor.

Or you might choose patience.

You can let it move

through.

And you're actually in control

here.

Because you have a choice

to release or rephrase.

So that's the practice.

Catch it.

Let it pause.

Explore.

Ask.

And release.

Clear.

C-L-E-A-R.

When you want to clear

your mind of criticism, even

just for a moment, this

is your guide.

And maybe this becomes your

mantra for the day.

Maybe this is your mini

reset when something gets under

your skin.

Or even the way you

shift how you speak to

yourself, especially when no one's

listening.

Because the truth is, when

we make room for this

kind of clarity, for using

clear, you can free so

much space up as well.

For your creativity.

For your compassion.

For calm.

Just being a little more

human with each other, perhaps.

Clear.

C-L-E-A-R.

So here's the thing I

hope you take with you

today:

'You become what you practice.'

And for my daughter and

you, hopefully I've given you

the practices in a way

that you can go practice

the practices to help start

to break the cycle of

criticism that we all find

ourselves in from time to

time.

By the way, if you,

like so many of us,

have been practicing criticism even

unintentionally, then it makes sense

that it shows up so

easily.

So don't criticize that about

yourself.

But what if just for

a day you practice something

else?

Maybe it's catching one critical

thought before it leaves your

lips.

Maybe it's pausing before an

eye roll.

Maybe it's choosing curiosity or

even compassion instead of a

usual reaction.

Even one small shift can

start to change the tone

of your day.

And that's the invitation.

Try it.

I sure am.

I do and I am

and I remind myself when

I need it most.

And sometimes it comes up

when the timing of episodes

happen as well.

So try it with someone.

This can be really cool

to try with a friend

and check in and even

reflect and even marvel, sometimes

laugh about it later.

And remember, this is not

about creating some idealized version

of a world that's free

of criticism, but it's about

practicing toward releasing some of

the noise, lowering the background

music of critiques, and turning

up the volume on awareness

and the happy and joyful

music you really want to

listen to.

It's about your presence.

It's about giving the people

around you and yourself just

a little more space to

be human.

Do you feel like you

might need this?

I know I do every

so often.

So if you do give

it a try, I'd truly

love to hear from you.

You can always find me

at wendybazilian.com.

That's my website.

Or you can write me

at 1KWM@wendybazilian.com.

And again, you might try

this with a friend or

share, if you would, the

episode with someone who might

like this.

And as always, thank you

for sharing a few of

your waking minutes with me

today as we explored the

simple but powerful practice of

a criticism-free day.

Until next time, be well.

Thank you for tuning in

to 1,000 Waking Minutes.

A huge thank you to

our amazing collaborators, including our

production and marketing teams, and

Gabriela Escalante in particular.

To the ultra talented Beza

for my theme music, my

lifelong friend and artist, Pearl

Preis Photography and Design.

To Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen,

Joanna Powell, and of course

my family.

And everyone working tirelessly behind

the scenes.

And to you, our valued

listeners, I so appreciate your

support.

If you enjoyed today's episode,

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Until next time, find some

simple opportunities to optimize those

1,000 Waking Minutes each day.

I'm saying yes to better

days, yes.

I'm on my way, yes.

It's gonna be okay, yeah.

I'm saying yes to better

days, yes.

I'm on my way, yes.

It's gonna be okay, yeah.