And so there is an evil thought in our mind, a selfish one, a thought if acted out would be detrimental. And so we shove that unacceptable thought aside, ashamed, into the darkness of our mind, into a closet with the rest of our proverbial skeletons. Then with a clear mind uninterrupted we carry on with our day. But soon a situation or person will unintentionally will call fourth that demon in our mind whom now present will attempt to wrestle control of our body to execute that which we fear, whatever it may happen to be for each demon is different. Will we win this match and once again bury this thought deep into an unused corner of our mind? Or will this thought of ours -conventionally labeled a demon - rise to the occasion from a weakened, drunken mind for instance and win? (Self-control is a flexing of ego.) Then what? We are embarrassed. We “live” and “regret” this “mistake.” But what if there is another solution? One in which we face our demons, come to understand them, come to reconcile with them? What if in doing so made them go away or turns them into building blocks to further our personal development and growth? I think that is worthwhile to look into.
We all have these metaphorical demons within us, eating us, causing us to live in fear of ourselves. These demons of thought are an aspect of ourselves, of our personalities which we have yet to face and resolve, answer and grow from. They are as much of a part of us as our hand is. And just as an unskilled, uncontrolled hand and arm can be accidentally used as a club, so to can an undisciplined mind cause trouble to ourselves and those near us. To face our negative thoughts is to rein them in with a lasso, tame them to work for us, eventually turning them into a steed to propel us to new heights of personal growth we thought not possible. No longer shall we run from wild horses for fear of being trampled or dragged into the forbidden wilderness. Today we ride them to greener pastures.
One demon I have is a fear of success and self-power. It’s a series of thoughts that have controlled me for a greater portion of my life. If they did not exist then I would have control over my life, I would have responsiblity, and I would be walking my path. Instead, these thoughts undermine me at every opportunity. The hold me down. It’s similar to or even might be called low self-esteem. For example, what would a person with low self-esteem say when someone else says “your music is excellent” assuming they are a musician of sorts? We both know the answer. My fear of success and self empowerment operates in a similar manor. When I am presented with an opportunity to grow and advance financially, socially, and personally in the real world I sabotage the situation to undermine my own advancement with the goal of staying put in the exact same spot - my comfort zone. These thoughts whisper to me saying “you’re not worthy,” “you’re not that good,” “it’s not for you,” “they are trying to trick you and deceive you.” As you can see thoughts such as these can really restrict and retard growth. There are many other limiting thoughts rooted in fear. Fear of thinking for oneself, otherwise fear of opinion. The fear of rejection causing one to pretend, be fake and please others. Fear of pleasure which can restrict one’s sexual freedom or the ability to simply to have fun. Fear of no control. There are many of these fears, these demons within us that unleashed and revealed cause and create typically socially or personally unacceptable situations. Moreover, they restrict our growth. And so we hide them in shame so they do not show up and reveal our ugly inside. And we smile.
To face our demons we do not need special equipment, a torch or a crossbow. All we need is courage. Only we know the depths of our minds and what lies beneath the thin veil of pleasantries, dress and formal greetings. Only we know how we truly feel inside. And if it’s not a feeling of abounding love and joy then we need to take a look and find what is blocking us from feeling that. What windows to our soul, if you will, are closed not letting in the sunlight? What is the cage we limit ourselves with made of? What is the root of our fear that is preventing us from feeling happy inside?
We can open the window. We can tame and control our mind. We can move forward and embrace the growth we so need. Everyone has a road block preventing us from going forward and getting something we really need in life and it is only our own mind that stops us. For me listening to my heart frees my mind. What will free you?
To identify our self-limiting beliefs we must ask ourselves what we truly want in life then list that which is preventing us from reaching it. For me it’s a feeling of worthlessness. For many others I imagine it will external sources, such as parents, family, a house, money, even race and gender. Many of us use biology as a source of a road block in life claiming that the color of ones skin or their sex prevents them from doing what their hearts desire. Some people place the blame on a spouse or children. Maybe you were told you had no value of some sort as a child. Now you are afraid to engage in whatever that may be as an adult. We believe the road block to be real. And thats the key. For it is only our own minds which make things like this real. For it is only these self-limiting beliefs which old us back.
For the practical minded, write on a piece of paper your goals and what is preventing you from reaching your goals. Then outline a plan to move around these blocks. Break that plan down into mini-goals that can be achieved monthly, weekly and daily. Stick to the plan and you will move forward closer to your hearts desire. Remember, everything in your life you created. This is a very empowering thought. It means you can change your life. Now stand up and embrace your dream. Now face life, your demons and your self-limiting beliefs with courage and achieve your dream.
0 Responses to “Facing our Demons”