THE POSITIVE VOJ BY DANIELLE RUBIN

Last night I watched Ratatouille (a great Disney film) that made me hungry for french cuisine, but also, showed me a fresh perspective on our VOJs, otherwise known as our voice of judgment. That inner voice that judges you before others even have the chance to and therefore stops you from taking risks. 

Most of the time, your VOJ sounds like this: 

“Don’t do that, it’s dumb.” “Don’t speak up, everyone will say you’re stupid” “Don’t try that, you’re going to mess up.” 

However, for Remy (the main character), his VOJ is completely different. If you haven’t seen the movie, the basic idea is a rat named Remy is inspired by Chef Gustaeu, who says “Anyone Can Cook”, and he moves to Paris to follow his dreams to become a chef. 

Chef Gustaeu is Remy’s original inspiration so Remy’s conscience (or his VOJ) takes on the form of Chef Gustaeu. Throughout the movie, Remy has many moments where he almost gives up or runs away but the imaginary Chef Gustaeu swoops in and encourages Remy to take the leap. 

Try the recipe. Explore the city. TAKE THE RISK. 

Why don’t we start living that way? Rather than shutting off your VOJ completely, try to transform it into a tool. Dress your VOJ up into someone who inspires you. Make that person your VOJ and have them push you when you need it rather than hold you back from opportunities.

Give it a try. Don’t let your VOJ stop you.