There is a demon inside of everyone,
Telling us lies, trying to defeat us.
When life is smooth it hides.
It waits until foul weather comes.
We forget it is even there.
This serpent of deception is patient.
It was around before the fall
And will be around after the rise.
When darkness descends, as it always does,
The demon is left to feed.
It consumes our doubts and fears.
It gorges on our regrets and second guesses.
It grows fat on our secret desires
And on all of the filth in our brains.
It grows stronger as we grow weaker.
It is a parasite, but it is also a part of us:
The part that wants to remain empty,
Power-hungry and free from responsibility.
The demon can be defeated,
But it must first be seen.
We have to be willing to let it speak
And to listen to its judgments,
Fully aware that it is only a part of us
And not the whole of our being.
There is no such thing as fully understanding it.
We can no more fully understand evil
Than we can fully understand good.
They are infinitely expansive.
We get only glimpses at enlightenment.
Salvation is not a destination,
But rather a continued commitment to effort,
Humility and faith in goodness.
Growing stronger is not always about adding:
Muscle, ability, ecomonic fortitude.
Getting stronger can also include subtracting
The things that hold us back:
Tension, hesitation, negative habits and thoughts.
Once we have confronted the demon
We can begin subtracting its influence.
We can take a stand for seeking improvement,
Increasing responsibility and spreading love.
You are not alone if you feel defeated.
You are actually more blessed than you realize.
Each time that we reach into the darkness
And emerge into the light
We learn that our fears were not as expected.
When the demon speaks it becomes a reminder
That courage is what is now warranted.
The courage to stand in the midst of doubt
For what we know to be true.
Truth is what quiets the demon.
Truth is what sets us free.
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