The Inner War: The Path to Self-Compassion
You’re not broken. You’re at war with what you inherited.
In this opening episode, Gary introduces The Inner War — the daily lived conflict that so many of us carry without ever naming it. It’s not just anxiety. It’s not overthinking. It’s what happens when survival strategies become identities.
At the center of this war are the Three Forces in the Inner War:
Shame — the whisper: “I am not enough.”
Perfectionism — the demand: “If I do this perfectly, maybe I’ll finally be safe.”
The Inner Critic — the enforcer: “Don’t screw this up. You’ll regret it.”
These are not flaws. They are survival strategies — shaped by family, culture, and evolution. But when we begin to meet them with self-compassion, the war starts to lose its grip.
🌱 In this episode you’ll learn:
What the Inner War really is (and why it’s not your fault).
How shame, perfectionism, and the inner critic became the Three Forces you battle daily.
Why disinheritance — trauma, evolutionary mismatch, and toxic culture — fuels the war.
Why self-compassion is the beginning of freedom.
What to expect in the coming episodes, including the First and Second Reckonings.
✨ Self-Compassion Project (your first practice):This week, when you catch yourself being self-critical, pause.Put your hand on your chest, take one slow breath, and say quietly:“This is hard. May I give myself kindness in this moment.”
That’s enough.
🔑 Key Quotes from this Episode
“You’re not failing at being human. You’re reacting to a world that made you forget how to be one.”
“The war isn’t your fault. But the exit — that’s your move.”
📚 Resources & Next Steps
Grab my book Rewilding Your Soul for a deeper dive into disinheritance and the path back to wholeness.
Subscribe to this podcast so you don’t miss the upcoming episodes on Shame, Perfectionism, and the Inner Critic.
Journal prompt: If you spoke to yourself the way you’d speak to a dear friend in their moment of struggle, what might you say differently?
