Like a lot of people, I have demons that I battle with on a daily basis. The thing about having these demons and learning to understand how they operate is that, although they may lay dormant for a while in my own mind, and although I have controls and processes that I have learned over many years to help control them, they can still move swiftly throughout and within my mind without warning.

Over the years, I've learned certain cues that help me see them - certain things working against me that can contribute to them surfacing, or just a build-up of life's pressures that can create momentum towards their surfacing. Regardless, they are and always will be dormant or present, and it's essential for me to continue to transform, grow, and develop additional skills to keep them at bay.

Several years ago, I went through a difficult period in my life, and my mind began questioning me -- questioning the universal energy deep inside of myself. Demons began to appear, and subsequently, I was trapped in a dark cycle. It took a long time to recognize what it was, what they were, and an even longer time to develop controls and understandings of how to deal with them. Once I could recognize what was going on, I was able to begin a long journey towards understanding them, myself, and the pathway towards control.

I think internal demons, struggle, and the exposure to darkness are part of life. Without darkness, there is no light; without sadness, there is no happiness; without nothing, there is no thing. It is within these challenges that we are faced with that determine the outcome of either direction of the break line. It is within the decisions we make when faced with these demons or the darkness that dictate the outcome and trajectory of our life and our happiness. It is within the battle of deciphering our consciousness's true objective, our true self’s objective, while understanding the questions that our mind portrays. Our mind deals with these demons and no always in our best interest, so it is within that understanding that presents the opportunity to succeed in our search for happiness.

I don't believe that it's about trying to remove these components within ourselves that is the key. I simply believe that it is the understanding of ourselves, our beliefs, and our values. Understanding our true pathway which is a fundamental requirement in the battle of darkness within ourselves. Darkness and demons will come and go, but we must learn to see and understand what they are. We must learn to reflect and decipher why they are there. We must learn to develop processes and strategies in order to keep them at bay or remove them when they appear, and we must learn to move in harmony with both light and dark, yin and yang. It is within this battle of balance that we can success in our search for happiness.

“The obstacle in your way is but a stepping stone on your journey” - Marcus Aurelius

Thanks,

Dean