We’ve visited the inner gremlins before, and with spooky season in full swing it’s a good opportunity to review our strategies for managing the parts of ourselves that trip us up. An inner gremlin is one of those internal voices which make us act in ways that don’t reflect the best parts of ourselves–they can be frustrating, obstreperous, embarrassing, or exhausting, and when we keep ignoring them or pushing them away, they can get downright scary.
But looked at in another light, inner gremlins are simply parts of us whose messages aren’t getting heard. Gremlins, however misguided their methods, have messages that are intended to help us in some way. These messages might be outdated, irrelevant, and ineffective, but underneath it all they are an expression of something very important to us. Figuring out what that underlying intention is and reassuring the gremlin that this very important value or need will be met can often give the gremlin permission to go elsewhere.
It can be helpful to recognize what circumstances make our gremlins come out: are there particular states of mind where they tend to come knocking on the mental door? Do they sneak up behind on silent feet, waiting to surprise you when you turn around? How can you change your mental script to shake up the old pattern of gremlin visitation with new images of them, or new tasks for them to do, or new knowledge that will keep them satisfied? How could you use your gremlins to help you as allies in a sticky situation (like a pumpkin spice latte emergency)? Much like decorating for Halloween, how you relate to your gremlins is totally up to you: you can go fun or scary, or a little bit of both.
Caitlin E McDonald 