Harness your demons.
Problems and trials can be blessings in disguise. Not that you will want to seek more obstacles in life; in fact, you are likely engaged in endeavoring to avoid and remove problems and trials from your life. Out of unwanted negative problems come unexpected positive gifts. That is if you manage the situation right. Let’s explore this principle.
For example, you may get fired from a good job (a problem), and that might lead to benefits, such as… a better job, some new skills, an expanded mind, personal growth, or any number of things. There is a possibility that there may be far less good than bad arise from the misfortune. But, the chances are that, more often than not, that there will always be at least some good come from any misfortune: your proverbial silver lining on a rain cloud. And if navigated with care and with a positive attitude, you can increase the possibility of increasing the magnitude of that positive outcome. You may even approach the possibility of outweighing the negative consequences of the original problem with the benefits that eventually come from the negative experience. In fact, it’s more likely than not.
So, understanding this phenomenon, you can use this to your advantage. This is where you engage your intelligence. This is where the principle of “harnessing your demons” comes from. The term “demons” also cuts much deeper than just “life’s problems” or “trials.” “Demons” include much deeper psychological issues, trauma, and personal troubles in addition to life’s ordinary run of the day challenges. Tap into those deeper issues and problems and learn from and leverage them to become strengths. Curiously, it is in these deep scars that your greatest strength and contribution comes from.
Let’s talk about how this works. Perhaps examples are the best mode of illustration. Let’s say you were physically abused when you were young. That expense was unfortunate, and unwanted, and inexcusable. Yet what happened has happened, and the past cannot be undone. Yet, arising from that experience, you grew, you built strength, resilience, and a passion for standing up for and defending others. Those new traits have grown into super powers in your life. Although you would never wish those traumatic experiences on someone else, they have become a source of strength for you.
In another example, let’s say you grew up in extreme poverty. That experience taught you amazing life skills: resourcefulness, frugality, gratitude, inventiveness, and the ability to detach oneself and one’s happiness from the current situation or outside events, especially those not in your control. These abilities, when properly honed, become huge life-changing blessings and super powers. If not properly leveraged, experiences like these can become instead huge stumbling blocks. And sometimes you are not even aware of what way you’re headed.
The good news is that if you missed the opportunity coming into the situation, you can still retroactively take advantage of it after the fact by reinterpreting the meaning associated with it.
For example, if you grew up in extreme poverty and always used that as an excuse to not enjoy life because you had thought the universe has judged you poorly and that attitude was ruining your life, you can have a second look at your situation and use the same facts to justify adopting super powers.
So what are the demons in your life? Is there something you can do to harness those demons to become strengths?