Sometimes the Biggest Bullies Are the Voices in Your Own Head 🌿

Pieter once leaned in during a drumming circle — he’s a master at leaning without an actual body, which is a neat trick, I must admit — and muttered with that cosmic smirk of his, “Sometimes the biggest bullies are the voices in your own head. Learn to stand up to them too.”

Bloody brilliant, right?

Just the other day was a prime example. Kerri was in the kitchen making coffee (which is basically an exorcism for the sleep-deprived) and suddenly blurted out, “I feel like I’m failing as a mum.”

She had that look — you know the one. Like she’d just been sucker-punched by her own expectations.

I put my coffee down, took a breath, and asked, “What the hell do you mean?”

She sighed, looking like she’d been personally victimised by every self-help book on the shelf. “I lose my patience sometimes. I don’t always get it right. I should be more patient, more creative, more everything. I’m afraid I’m screwing up our kids.”

Cue my dramatic eye-roll that could rival any teenager’s.

“Okay, let’s unpack this for a second,” I said, channelling my inner therapist and outer wise-arse all at once. “Who’s telling you that you’re failing? Because I’m pretty damn sure it’s not our kids. They think you walk on water. That voice? That’s the inner bully — the one who moved in without paying rent and keeps redecorating the place with self-doubt wallpaper.”

She snorted a laugh, but I wasn’t done. “That voice is a manipulative little shit. It loves to jump out of the shadows at 2am with a megaphone and scream, ‘YOU’RE NOT ENOUGH!’ Just to see if it can ruin your night’s sleep. And guess what? You’re allowed to tell it to shut the fuck up.”

And here’s where shadow work comes in — because no, shadow work isn’t about pulling the threads of your failings and turning them into a noose. It’s about pulling the threads where you’re lying to yourself. Like telling yourself you’re a failure when actually, you’re showing up every damn day, doing your best, and learning as you go. It’s about finding the places where you let that inner bully run the show instead of your soul’s truth.

Eagle Eye popped in (because why wouldn’t he?), looking like a cross between Gandalf and a motivational speaker from the astral plane. “Remind her,” he said, all serious-like, “that doubt is just a thought. Not the truth. Every parent doubts themselves, but those doubts? They’re like cosmic graffiti. Wash them off. Because she’s a better parent than she thinks, simply because she gives a damn enough to even worry about it.”

Boom. Mic drop from Spirit Central.

So here’s the spiritual slap upside the head, my friends: The biggest bully you’ll ever face might just be the one you’ve let rent space inside your own skull. That voice? It’s a master manipulator, shapeshifter, and part-time gremlin. Fire its arse. Kick it out with a ceremonial drumbeat and a middle finger.

Stand tall, look it straight in its metaphorical eye, and say, “Thanks for the unsolicited feedback, but I’m running the show here. Kindly piss off.”

And for those days when that voice is really digging in its claws, grab your spirit team. Or your best mate. Or me. I’ll show up with drums, feathers, sage, and a truckload of sarcasm — because sometimes the best way to shut that voice the fuck up is with a laugh and a cosmic middle finger.

💛 Keep going, warriors. You’re doing way better than you think.

🔥 PS: If you want to dive deeper into silencing that inner critic, tearing down those old lies, and lighting up your authentic self, join us at our upcoming Laughing Crow’s Fire Circle — both online and in person. We’ll bring the drums, the wisdom, and a safe space to burn those self-doubts to the ground. 🔥

👉 Check out the details and book your spot here: https://living5d3d.com/laughing-crows-fire-circle/

See you around the fire, my fellow mischief-makers. Let’s torch those inner bullies together. 🔥🦅🔥