I have demons. Lots of them. I suspect you’ve got some yourself.
A wise leader once told me to demystify the process so that those I lead could better understand all the seemingly mysterious processes that run in the background of any organization. It was one of the best pieces of advice I ever got as a leader. The best part was that this leader modeled the behavior by doing the very thing he talked about. That’s a huge motivator, and most leaders underestimate (if they estimate at all) how vital a component that kind of modeling is to the health of the organization they lead. And the people…it’s healthy for the people involved up and down the organization.
I think it’s useful to demystify this idea of demons. The demons that haunt our lives, at least the type about which I am writing, are largely the byproducts of our own life experiences. To take them out of the realm of ethereal fantasy and into the light of reality, they need names. Name your demons. It doesn’t matter what you call them, just call them out. Identify them. Label them. Once you do that, you can begin to relate to them. Relating to them is the first step in neutralizing them. And that’s all you should really hope to do: neutralize them. Don’t shoot for eliminating them because they come from you and are a part of you. Excising them is nearly impossible. Exorcizing them is best left to actors on film. If you can manage to neutralize them, then I think you’ve done pretty well.
There is a reason to name and identify with the demons that vex you. Once identified and name, the things that haunt you can then be addressed. And by “addressed”, I mean spoken to. That’s right. You’re going to speak to your demons at some point. Maybe not quite yet, but you’ll get to the point where you can and will address them. Literally. As in, you are going to talk to them out loud, so you can hear what you say to them. Sounds kinda weird, doesn’t it? Maybe so, but you’ll get even weirder once you’ve taken to speaking to them. The next step is to listen to then speak to you.
Yes, you’re going to listen to them. And they are going to talk to you. You might wonder how that’s going to happen if they are not of the physical plane, if they are manifestations of the machinations of your psyche. It’s simple: you are going to be their voice. You will speak for them. Out loud. You’ll give them a voice and give them an audience. You will speak and listen at the same time. In the process, you will learn.
Interested? I can show you how to do it.
Illuminate Possibilities 