Episode #3: False Identities: Who's Really Running Your Mind? And Tools for Inner Change!

In this episode, Steve and Drew dive deep into the world of inner critics, saboteurs, and the unseen voices that shape our thoughts, behaviors, and identities. Building on their previous conversations, they explore the nine saboteurs from Positive Intelligence, revealing how these primitive, unskilled inner voices—often rooted in childhood—drive patterns of anxiety, avoidance, and self-judgment. You'll hear about: • The origins and archetypes of saboteurs like the Hyper-Rational, Avoider, and Pleaser. • The link between saboteurs and stress responses (fight, flight, tend-and-befriend). • The core fears that drive our reactive habits: fear of failure, not being enough, and not being loved.  • Strategies for identifying and engaging with saboteurs using humor, mindfulness, and compassion. • Tools like "wanted posters," the "Batman effect," and third-person self-talk to build perspective and resilience. Drew introduces powerful frameworks like the mansion metaphor and Drew's 3 Circles, while Steve offers personal color commentary with stories of his "Yes Man" and "See No Evil" saboteurs. The episode is rich with references—from Abraham Lincoln's reflective leadership to Harry Potter and The Legend of Bagger Vance—all illuminating how to move from self-sabotage to self-leadership. Homework / Reflection Prompts: • Name and notice your inner critics throughout the day. • Create a "wanted poster" for your top saboteur. • Use mindfulness moments (taste, smell, breath) to switch off autopilot.  • Try third-person self-talk to reduce reactivity in emotionally charged moments. This episode blends neuroscience, coaching, and real-life experience to help you recognize, disarm, and even appreciate the parts of you that try to protect—but sometimes hold you back. Books: "Chatter" & "Shift"– Ethan Kross "The Untethered Soul" – Michael A. Singer "Positive Intelligence" – Shirzad Chamine "No Bad Parts" & "Intro to IFS" – Richard Schwartz "Parts of ME"--Wyman "Boundaries for your soul"-Cook & Miller