Owning your demons

Where do demons come from?  Do they really exist?  When we say "own your demons" are we actually talking about a demon entity?

The answers are very simple.  According to the bible,  written by man,  demons were once angels who were cast out of heaven.  "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment..." (2 Pet. 2:4; NASB).    Those who believe in the paranormal, know that demons do exist.  They walk amongst us, mainly unseen by those who walk around our world with their eyes wide shut.   But this article isn't about actual demons.   It is about owning your demons.  Your inner issues that may bother you and cause you to have a social disorder or other mental or emotional health issues.   When we recognize that our inner demons, we can then learn who and what they are; we can then  own them and release them.  Inner awareness helps strengthen our spiritual selves.

Many people walk around in society filled with deep seated hostility, anger and rage.  They carry their "inner" demons with them where ever they go.   They go to bed angry.  They wake up angry.  They are so angry with themselves,  that the anger spills out towards anyone who comes within feet of them.  They have no inner feelings of happiness for whatever reason they may personally have.   There are many people in our society who have an inner fear of such demons.  But this inner fear is irrational and the person may have an obsession or fixation with their inner fears.   The word "demon" is really an english word used today to brand a person as unfit or untrustworthy.  But the word can really be used as well to portray internal issues that a person refuses to deal with or basically, as I like to call it,  to own.

A severely dysfunctional individual may have problems owning their demons.  An individual may become socially immature and may not be able to function under normal situations simply because they are over taken by their demons.  They allow their inner demons to get the best of them.  But we can over come our internal demons simply by owning them.  Taking responsibility for our actions and our words.  Owning up to the mistakes we've made and by learning from those mistakes.  To make a mistake is human;  to not own up to them is stupid.

I've always been a very charitable person.  I've never lived my life as a "taker".  Always a "giver".   It is not uncommon for me to hand out money, if I can spare it,  to someone who may be on the street and down on their luck.   I expect nothing in return.  It makes me feel like a better person when I help someone in this way.   A few days ago,  my husband and I went to a gas station and on our way,  we passed by a homeless man standing on the street corner.   He was clean,  but older and seemed in need.   As my husband pumped the gas,  I sat there and watched many cars simply pass him by.   They looked at him but kept on driving by.  A few cars would slow down and an arm would extend from the window with a few dollars...but this type of charity was here and there.   As I sat there,  I thought about the times I was in need during my life and how it felt to not have anyone there to help me out.   I thought of the times when I had asked for help,  only to have those I asked, to turn their back on me.   It wasn't a good feeling.   Then for a split second,  I thought well....surely this man must not be doing something right in his life if he is homeless and having to beg for money.  But that thought went out of my mind in a split second.  It wasn't for me to judge this man why he was homeless.  Circumstances happen to all of us and pretty much, let's face it.  If we aren't millionaires,  we are just one paycheck away from being right there in this man's shoes.

I opened my purse and I counted my available cash.  I wanted to give him fifty dollars as I thought he more than likely could at least find a place safe to sleep for the night....a place to safetly sleep..maybe even buy himself a nice meal.  But then I remembered that my own husband has lost his job and business sales were down...so, I really did need to hang on to as much cash as I could.  So, I compromised.  I wanted to give him something.  I pulled out a twenty dollar bill and I laid it on the dash.  When my husband got into the car,  I told him to go in the direction of the man so I could give him twenty dollars.  He said,  "your going to give him twenty dollars??"  and I said, "YES! I'm going to give him twenty dollars!".  So we drove near the man and I rolled down my window and I handed him the twenty dollars.  He looked at the money and then he looked at me with twinkling blue eyes.  They were so kind and I felt instantly happier.  With a smile and a twinkle,  the man said "God bless you"...and he meant it.   His words lifted my soul and I felt like a better person.  Just from his three simple words.

We have choices in our life of how we want to live.  We can live miserable;  we can live angry; we can live feeling sorry for ourselves or we can live happily and we can live a life of giving instead of taking.   Those who do not own their demons,  live a life of misery.  They live through others instead of for others.  They take instead of give.  According to Harvey S. Firestone,  "You get the best out of others, when you give the best of yourself."

I choose to not live my life in anger; I do not fear demons nor do I walk around allowing demons to own me.  I own my demons.  I take full responsibility for the things I say and the things I do.  Demons do not run my life nor do they live through me.  I own them and I release them.  Some people do not want to  release their demons for they fear their life without them.  What would their life become if they released their demons?  How would they be able to live a life filled with happiness?  They worry about the "what-ifs".  There is no time to waste on "what if".   Giving is from the heart and it is about quality, not quantity.  Just the fact that you took time out of your day to do something nice for a complete stranger,  should make you feel happier.  The act of giving makes me feel very good about myself and it is a life that I do believe in.  I do lead by example.   I give a lot of myself to others in many various ways.  When you give with sincerity and integrity,  you are  giving services of value...no matter how small or large.

It is easy to take others for granted;  it is easy to allow our inner demons to enter.  They knock and you open the door.  It's that easy.  Would you allow just anyone to enter into your home?  Would you open your door to just anyone?  Not if you were in your right mind.   Just as you would be careful opening a door to a stranger,  you should be very careful about opening your door to a demon.  Hostility is just one demon that eagerly knocks and many people simply open the door and let him or her in.   Have you ever had the experience of being serviced by someone who was absolutely surrounded by demons?  They are easy to spot!  They're unpleasant.  Never have anything nice to say about anyone.  They go around grumbling about every little thing.  They are full of negative energy and when you leave them,  you feel as if they've just drained every ounce of your energy!  We call these people energy vampires!  They live for the drama.  They live to drain those around them.   Now think of the times you've been serviced by a very pleasant individual...someone who radiates happiness, warmth and positive energy!  How did this person make you feel?  Did you walk away from them with a smile?  Did you feel like you'd just been inwardly hugged?  Mother Teresa once said, "There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread!".  

Make it a habit to say or do  something nice for  a complete stranger each and every day.  Your willingness to put your appreciation into words can brighten someone's  day not just for today....but for tomorrow and the next day and the day after that.   You never know when your words might even be something that another person will think of much later after you've spoken them and your words may even  be words they can cherish for a life time.  Do not live your days for demons, for they live in dark, dreary places which have no value.  Live to give instead of take.  For if you do more giving than taking,  you'll be able to see your joyous giving instead of hiding in the grave.