Negative self-talk refers to the critical inner dialogue that often has us questioning our abilities, shaming ourselves, and cynically commenting on our own hopes and expectations. This chatter often overwhelms any positive self-talk and can lead to a sense of fear, failure to act, and significant suffering. Many of us experience negative self-talk without realizing it, but once we can hear what we’re telling ourselves, we can learn to counter our inner critic and take better advantage of our full capabilities.