We have been given amazing minds.
The think, create, care, dream…
but they also overthink, destroy, hate and doubt.

I sometimes yearn for the day when nothing will overpower me. I wish I can proclaim that no fear or doubt leaves me stressed or confused anymore.

That I have not achieved, but I have seen how the identification of the daunting items, gives me more power.

In my mind there is a dark chamber where the monsters rule. They rule because I can not see them, and therefore I am even more debilitated by them. I can not fight and overcome what I can not see and what I can not identify an apt weapon for.

But I am changing that.

It takes time. Time we do not always have…or we do not always allocate it correctly.

But a morning of thinking, realising and writing down the things that lurk in my darkness, has set me free from them.

One would think that viewing a monster will make it more powerful.
But in its revelation lies its first fatal punch.

If I know that the reason I am stressed is because I worry about my loved ones, I can challenge that stress with either doing something in my power, or teaching myself (this takes repetition of course) to not take people’s mistakes or choices as my responsibility. The monster of sadness is losing his fight.
If I realise that I am irritable because I am worrying about the future, I can choose what to change in my daily schedule and harness faith (which I embrace as part of my journey) for that which I can’t control. The monster of fear gets its first death-blow.
If I see that I worry about being a good wife or friend, I can assess it realistically, remind myself of what I know to be good and challenge myself to add another achievement or goal to my weekly regimen. The monster of insecurity is driven back, step by step.
If you compare pictures of yourself and realise that you have purpose, but have lost your passion, you can start the journey to discover it (or a different one) once again. The monster of aimlessness will not rule my days anymore!
If you see how your actions bring about conflict or distance with friends or colleagues, you can choose a different action in future situations. The monster of self-pity and isolation dare not touch you!

With unidentified monsters, we simply feel overwhelmed, wishing to rest and sleep. Combined, these monsters can make quite an army. But separately, I know I can fight them off.

With clear pictures of what taunts us, we can break out our weapons of changed thought, changed priorities or changed lifestyles and challenge a monster with opposed thought whenever necessary.

Thinking about a situation turns from devastation to hope; from listlessness to empowerment.

We sometimes just let the jumble of monsters overcome us. We don’t have to.

Our brilliant minds are created to set us free. That is how wonderfully He made us.

Let monsters into the light – call them from the shadows and chase them from your soul.