| FEATURE ARTICLE
Slay Your Inner Demons Once and for All
Doubt, lack of self esteem, failure, unworthiness, and indecisiveness
are just a few of the painful inner demons and voices that can destroy
your positive self image.
For instance, the creepy character of Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings"
movie trilogy has the dual personality of an evil side (“Yes, my
precioussss . . .”) and a suppressed positive sense of self that tries
desperately to stay alive. When these two conflicting personalities clash
with each other onscreen, it becomes easier to directly relate to what it
is like when we are faced with the choice of either giving into our most
traumatizing inner demons or fighting against them for our own sanity.
A client who was taking the California bar exam provided the perfect of
example of how important it is for each of us to be diligent at the watch
as the demons and negative voices invade our thought processes with
permission.
“The demons are at the door howling and trying to break through the
ramparts and into my inner sanctum. I have done pretty well in keeping a
clear focus on the task at hand, but I can really feel the voices of the
past echoing through the corridors of mind, saying hauntingly, ‘You will
not pass; nothing you have done will prepare you adequately; why even
try!’”
Refusing to relent, the client went on describe his successful exam
performance this way: “I entered the forest, so to speak, and persevered,
endured the blocking and ‘you can’t pass' voices, and emerged on the other
side victorious. If you could only understand how scared I've been to take
this practice exam because of the damning and negative emotions related to
its history, you’d know what a major triumph this accomplishment
represents.”
Through our work together, this client began to realize how hard he has
been on himself about what he calls “this stupid test.” “Once I completed
this daunting practice exam, I realized how difficult I had made it out to
be in my mind," he explained. "But after having gone through each
question, I saw how unmerciful I had been toward myself as a form of
punishment, almost.”
No matter what individual personal demons and negative voices continue
to infiltrate the sanctuary of your innermost thoughts, here are ten
proven guidelines to help you silence them once and for all:
1. Think of ways you can be your absolute best.
2. Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
3. Consistently remind yourself of who you are becoming.
4. Have faith in yourself and know your dreams will come true.
5. Challenge yourself to become all you can be, more than you’ve ever
been.
6. Encourage yourself to keep going as you continue to build and expand
on this “work in progress” that will eventually become the “new
you.”
7. Acknowledge your successes.
8. Remain unconditionally constructive.
9. Allow yourself the freedom and personal grace to achieve
greatness.
10. Take a stand for the success you truly deserve.
When we hear the painful demons and voices, we must disagree and fight
back. Turn to the truth of your innermost beauty and positive sense of
self and focus on your many talents and the incredible character that
represents who you truly are. Then play them over and over again in the
theater of your mind. | 
Where has the summer gone? I know it's just
my perception, but lately time really does seem to speed by faster than
ever. When that happens, it becomes harder to hear what our intuition,
that voice inside, is telling us. Why does it matter? It matters because
listening to our intuition can play an important role in helping us live a
fulfilling life...both at work and at home.