Amber Mikesell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Amber, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I believe one of the deepest secret struggles many face, but rarely admit, is the constant, stealthy battle happening inside their own mind.
It’s not the loud breakdowns or obvious moments of failure that weigh most heavily on the heart, it’s the quiet whispers. The ones no one hears but you.
That subtle, negative inner voice (what I call the Inner Critic) has a way of slipping in like a stealthy villain. It doesn’t attack all at once. Instead, it infiltrates your thoughts little by little, feeding on your brain’s natural bias toward the negative. One quiet whisper at a time it feeds you phrases like:
“You’re not enough.”
“No one really sees you.”
“You’ll never measure up.”
It feels harmless at first. Just a thought. Then another. Then another. But like drops of water eroding away at a stone, it slowly wears away at even your most beautiful thoughts.
Over time, those whispers become chains. A prison of your own making. And because it’s happening inside you, you feel too ashamed to admit it. Too embarrassed to say: “I’m trapped in my own head, and I don’t know how to get out.”
So you stay silent. You keep smiling. You pretend. And all the while, your Inner Critic grows stronger in the shadows.
But here’s what I’ve learned, both in my own healing journey and through the thousands of brave souls I’ve worked with—you can break free. The prison is real, yes, but so is the key.
It begins with awareness. With naming the voice that doesn’t belong to you. And then, choosing to defy it.
In my book “Silence Your Inner Critic”, and in the immersive masterminds and teachings we offer, we don’t pretend the Inner Critic doesn’t exist. We face it head-on.
We give people tools to turn up the volume on their Inner Champion (the positive aspect of their psyche), and empower the part of them that is loving, wise, brave, and whole.
If anyone is struggling with this right now, my team and I are here to help. They can reach out to us through our website at silenceyourinnercritic.com
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Amber Mikesell, and I’m the co-founder of Suivera (suivera.org) — a global movement devoted to awakening unconditional love and empowering individuals to live in alignment with their heart. Everything I create, from books and immersive retreats to online communities and podcasts, is rooted in that mission: helping people remember who they are beyond the fear, beyond the mask, beyond the Inner Critic.
My journey began, like many, with pain—the kind you don’t post about. Silent battles with self-worth. A deep ache to be seen and loved for who I truly am. And the realization that the loudest voice trying to hold me back wasn’t “out there”… it was inside my own head.
That’s what led me to create Silence Your Inner Critic, a transformational book, superhero-themed mastermind and retreat, plus a heart-centered curriculum that’s now reaching readers and communities across the globe. We use a fresh, creative approach to self-development, framing the Inner Critic as a stealthy villain, and the Inner Champion as your true superpowered self. Through that lens, we teach people how to break free from negative self-talk, emotional sabotage, and old patterns that keep them stuck.
However, Suivera isn’t just about silencing the inner critic, it’s about awakening love-led leadership. We’re building everything from ministerial education to virtual reality healing spaces to global community hubs, all grounded in the power of presence, authenticity, and soul expansion.
What makes our work unique is that it blends deep spiritual truth with tangible tools, and wraps it all in love, creativity, and connection. We don’t ask you to be perfect. We invite you to be real. To rise. To remember.
Because I believe that every single person on this planet is here for a reason, and when we silence the noise and reconnect with our heart, we unlock the power to change not only our own life, but the world itself.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I’ve found in my work as both a master life coach and a minister that it’s not the big betrayals or loud arguments that cause the deepest rifts, it’s the slow erosion of presence with yourself and with others. We all know it when we feel it, that disconnected feeling that comes with not being present in the moment.
The moments when we stop listening.
Those times we let fear speak instead of love.
The invisible walls we build real time to hide behind when our Inner Critic convinces us we’re not worthy or not enough, and then we project that pain onto the people around us.
So here we sit, disconnected from ourselves, no longer in the here and now. And when we’re no longer in synch with our own heart, it becomes nearly impossible to be bonded to someone else’s heart.
What restores those broken bonds?
The willingness to practice being present in the moment, even when it’s challenging. The humility and vulnerability to say, “I was wrong,” even when it feels uncomfortable. And the ability to see beyond our own pain so we can understand someone else’s.
This is why so much of our work at Suivera focuses on heart-led communication and emotional safety, because when we feel safe, it’s easier to be present and follow the steps to reconnect.
Ultimately I believe we all long to belong. And the bridge back to one another is built from the same thing that has always connected us—love. Not the fluffy kind. The real kind. The love that needs action, like listening, forgiving, and taking accountability—even when it’s hard.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a moment, years ago, when I almost gave it all up.
The mission.
The vision.
Even the belief that I had something meaningful to offer.
It wasn’t one big, dramatic collapse. It was more like a steady decline. A thousand quiet discouragements that came from every step I took.
As these hinderances added up, the voice inside my mind whispered, “You’re pouring your soul into something that no one sees.”
Another added, “You’re not making the impact you thought you would and it’s been years.”
And the loudest of all: “Maybe you’re not meant for this after all. Wouldn’t going back into corporate life be safer and easier?”
That voice wasn’t a stranger. It was my Inner Critic, dressed in disappointment and disguised as truth.
But then—something unexpected happened. A simple message came through a community I had started in my local area from someone I’d never met.
It was short.
Simple.
But one that I could not overlook. It read:
“I just wanted you to know… your words saved me this week. I’ve been going through a really hard time and reading your words of love and encouragement made me feel like I’m not alone. You gave me hope. Please don’t stop.”
I stared at that message for a long time, allowing it to sink in. Given how I had been feeling, I used that message to remind myself that we don’t plant seeds only to dig them up every day to see if they’re growing.
— We have to trust in the process.
— We have to keep showing up to tend to them.
— We have to keep watering them, even when we don’t see growth or progress.
— We have to keep letting the sun nourish the soil.
Because we never know when the roots will finally take hold;—we simply have to put in the effort, trust in the process and see where it takes us.
If anyone who is reading this article is in that place today, where you’re questioning whether your efforts matter…
Where you’re tired, or feel unseen, or are wondering if it’s even worth it…
Let me be the one to do for you what that community member did for me:
Your presence matters.
Your love matters.
Your courage to keep showing up matters.
Hold on.
Breathe.
You might just be right where I was and—one heartbeat away from rooting in.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is 100% the real me… it’s just not all of me.
What you see in public is the same heart that beats behind the scenes. I don’t wear a different mask for the stage than I do for my family, my friends, or my team. What I share in anything I teach, the joy, the stories, the cosmic metaphors, the superhero analogies—they all come from lived experience. My public self is rooted in love, grounded in truth, and shaped by my willingness to do the inner work before ever offering it to someone else.
But just like anyone, I have sacred spaces that aren’t meant for the spotlight. I believe in energetic integrity, meaning that not everything needs to be seen to be real. Some parts of me are just for Source/God. Some parts are only for my partner. Some parts are still healing. Some parts are still discovering who they are becoming.
So yes, the public version of me is deeply true, but it’s the expression of the parts of me that are ready to be shared in service of others. It’s not a performance. It’s a permission slip. One I offer to help others feel seen, too. The more I live aligned with my own heart, the more I hope others will feel safe to do the same. I feel that’s what authenticity really is, not just “being real,” but being love, even when it’s vulnerable, imperfect, or evolving.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope the story they tell isn’t just about me, but about the love they remembered within themselves because of what they discovered within through our encounter.
If there’s anything I pray lingers long after I’ve left this earth, it’s the feeling that people felt loved enough, confident enough, and empowered enough to become more themselves because our paths crossed. That something I said, created, or simply demonstrated helped them remember their own love and light within.
I don’t need to be remembered as someone who had all the answers. I just hope I’m remembered as someone who made it safe to ask questions and explore together. Who looked people in the eyes and saw their true soul, not their mask or their pain — but them. And as someone who showed up with heart when it mattered most.
I hope they say:
“She didn’t simply talk about love. She was love embodied.”
“She helped me silence the voices that told me I wasn’t enough.”
“She walked her talk. She lived in alignment. And she left the world softer, stronger, and more awake than she found it.”
And maybe most of all… I hope they tell stories of their own bravery — not just mine. Because my legacy isn’t meant to be a monument, it’s meant to be a mirror. A reminder that they, too, are here to live boldly, love deeply, and lead from the heart. And if even one person says, ‘Because of her, I chose to lead a life of love,’ then my mission will be complete.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.suivera.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suiveraofficial/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/suivera/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suivera.org
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theheartleaderpodcast
- Other: Amber’s Personal Website: https://www.ambermikesell.com
Image Credits
Portrait Photos by Juliette Ordonia – Event Photos by Stacy Ryan
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