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www.i-am-magazine.comThe Saboteurs at PlayAlexandra's inner world is a battleground whereher Saboteurs wage war against her confidence.There are ten Saboteurs, and Alexandra hasthree really strong ones:The Judge criticizes her every decision,highlighting what could have been donedifferently.The Hyper-Achiever pushes her to work longerhours, striving for an unattainable pace.The Stickler ensures that every task, no matterhow small, is scrutinized to the point ofparalysis, causing her to micromanage her team.These Saboteurs are not just internal critics; theyare also products of Alexandra's pastexperiences, societal expectations, and personalbeliefs. They have been her allies in times ofstress, pushing her to achieve more, but theyhave also become her enemies, undermining herself-worth and confidence. The Hyper Achievertells her she%u2019s only as good as her nextachievement, and the Stickler tells her anythingless than perfect is worse than a total failure.No wonder she%u2019s not happy with herself!When Saboteurs are active, the body%u2019ssympathetic nervous system is in control. Betterknown as %u201cfight or flight,%u201d when it's activated,you%u2019ll find it harder to generate creativesolutions, see things clearly aside from emotion,and most of all%u2014to love yourself exactly as youare.The first step to changing this pattern isunderstanding what exact voices are currentlygetting in your way. You can only %u201cfix%u201d what youknow is broken, so learning your own uniqueSaboteur mix is a critical first step to recovery. Ifyou%u2019ve seen yourself in the examples above, doyourself a favor and take this free SaboteurQuiz so you%u2019ll know exactly which voices to beon alert for. You deserve better, and it startswith this step!Empowering the SageIn a completely separate area of your brain fromthe Saboteurs lives a magical area called theSage. When activated, the Sage empowers yourparasympathetic nervous system, whichpromotes calmness, creativity, and ease. Whentrying to overthrow your Saboteurs, you want toactivate your parasympathetic nervous systemas often as possible!For Alexandra, empowering her Sage meanspracticing mindfulness, focusing on her breath,and recognizing when her Saboteurs are at play.It means reframing challenges as opportunitiesfor growth, celebrating her strengths, andembracing her imperfections. It's aboutdeveloping a growth mindset, where failures areseen as stepping stones to success, and where42