I got into a discussion with a friend a few days ago about “demons.” Now I’m not talking about mystical, woo-woo, entities from another plane of existence here. I’m talking about that metaphorical idea of the dark thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that reside in us all to one degree or another.

Our “demons” can come to be from a variety of ways. Trauma of one form or another is what comes first to my mind. Violence, assault, that sort of thing. Those “demons” can become that voice, or voices inside our heads that are our inner critics. Those voices that hold us back in fear and doubt. Those voices that tell you that you can’t, and that you shouldn’t and that you’ll never be good enough.

Here’s the thing though:

What if those “demons” aren’t necessarily a bad thing? What if all “they” are is your own body and mind’s way of trying to protect you from the unknown or from repeated exposure to something? What if you “harnessed” them and put them to good use?

Awhile back I had a “chat” with my “demons.” Instead of assuming that they were bad and out to cause me harm, I just genuinely observed them, what they were, and what they were trying to tell me. I realized that they came from a place of good intention and that they were either trying to protect me or that they were trying to galvanize me into doing something else instead of continuing down the road that I was walking.

What if you shifted your perspective about your own personal demons? What are they actually trying to tell you? What place of comfort are they trying to move you from? What sort of action are they trying to get you to take?

I tend to view my demons as drill instructors from boot camp giving me a swift kick in the ass to get me up and over that obstacle in front of me. They are not my enemies or obstacles themselves, they are my allies and friends. They aren’t here to hinder me or slow me down, they are here to push me, to make me uncomfortable so that I’ll grow.

What if instead of viewing your demons as a hindrance and using them as some sort of excuse to play the victim, what if you allied yourself to them and actually gave them an ear to their counsel to hear what they are really trying to tell you? Do they serve you? Or do you serve them? You have a choice in this matter. You always have and you always will.

Maybe they are trying to make you stronger. Maybe they are telling you that it’s okay to play the villain. Maybe they are telling you that sometimes, people have to burn. Maybe they are telling you that sometimes, you have to burn the village in order to save it.

And what’s wrong with a little cleansing fire? Fire isn’t a bad thing, it just is. Sure it can be destructive, but it also eliminates the old, the decaying, and the decrepit so that something new can rise from the ashes.

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