Now okay, facing demons head-on is a frightening, nasty business, but it's a business never the less we all have to undertake. You see, you either face them under your own terms, like a man (at the risk of sounding sexist...so feel free to also insert "like a woman"), or you eventually face them under the demon's terms, which more often than not involves stuff like death, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.
I'm no hero by the way. I'm really not. I am pretty damn good at putting things off, including facing my own demons. But face them I eventually do. All of them. With my eyes wide open and with a clear, unmedicated mind. Again, that doesn't mean that I'm a hero...it just means that I'm damn good at surviving.
Speaking of surviving, a co-worker and I had this running joke about an executive we both know, someone how has been incredibly good at surviving in the corporate world, despite many sea changes. I'll call him "Guido". The joke was that Guido was so good at corporate survival, that, in the event of a thermonuclear war, the only things left on Earth would be cockroaches, rats...and Guido. And so I digress.
For the record I'm no Guido*, but I've already mentioned that I really am good at surviving. But there is more to this than simply facing demons, as in order to face one you have to first realize you have a demon to face. Self-deception isn't a skill I've mastered in my life. If anything, I've been guilty of the opposite, namely failing to give myself even remotely enough credit. Maybe that is a form of self-deception. I like to think that I've mastered the art of humility to an almost epic level. As in a PhD in humility. This provides no real life benefit for me, except for the fact that it's enabled me to not believe in my own bullcrap (i.e. self-deception). I question everything, especially the stuff usually found swirling in my head. I am nothing if not very well thought-out and that has, so far, served me well.
I know, this is rather circumspect posting, but so be it. My $10/year URL fee, my website, my rambling. I will note this though: I know someone who is right now sitting on the edge of their life, where they finally have an opportunity to face their demons, head-on, straight-up, honestly and likely for the first time in their life. I just don't know that path this person will take, and I've done all could to to influence and help. My conscience is clear, although that's of little comfort when compared to the challenge that this person faces. As noted above, it's a nasty, nasty business.
(*) That's not intended to be funny, but in writing it out it does sound rather comical, especially since I have the anti-matter opposite look of a Guido...complete with an almost silly inability to grow any serious facial hair.
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