Facing, and Beating Our Demons

We all have demons in our lives. Whether they come in very obvious forms like addiction, or more subtle versions, they are there. It matters not your background, upbringing, socioeconomic status, age, gender, or race. No one is except. What separates those who succeed in life and those for whom life is a constant struggle, is at least in part, how they handle those demons.

For too many of us, the way to handle the things that pose the biggest challenges, is to ignore them. We figure if we block them out, pretend they aren't there and distract ourselves with enough activity, we can evade them. Unfortunately, as I have learned more tan once, that tactic works for a while, but eventually, life knocks you down, strips away the distractions, and forces you to deal with the monsters in the closet.

For other people the demons are too strong to ignore, too big or pretend the aren't there and so they try to block them out or get numb enough that they don't have to deal with them anymore. This is where the nasty beast called addiction thrives.

Finally, for those for whom the demons are too strong, who don't have enough support, or aren't willing to avail themselves of that support, the journey ends by giving up. Sadly, suicide claims the lives of 4,000+ Canadians each year.

So what can we do to improve the situation and eliminate the demons? One thing. A simple thing, but it's also the most challenging and difficult thing to do; we have to do exactly what most of us don't want to do. We have to face the demons.

What I've come to learn in my limited, but powerful, experiences with my own inner demons is that the only way to beat them, overcome them and make them disappear, is to face them head on. Much like a child afraid of the "monster under the bed" we can take the power away from the things that frighten us and threaten to take away our well-being and peace of mind, by refusing to deny they are there. The monster under the bed is only powerful when it's allowed to run wild in our imaginations. Once we look under the bed and realize that there really isn't anything there, the monster goes away and our anxiety lowers. Our inner struggles work in much the same way.

So find someone to talk to, write in a journal, meet with your priest, minister or rabbi, and face your fears, addictions and anxieties head on. I don't promise an instant fix, or even that you'll never have another inner battle to fight in your life. What I can promise is that when you face your demons rather than running from them, you'll be on your way to peace of mind, and a confidence in the knowledge that, while you'll never be perfect, you are working at being the best person you can be.

Yours in Inspired Living,

Mark