It’s about 10:30 at night, and you are in tune with about every creak and crack your dwelling is making.  This is because you are still awake.  Very awake.  No number of covers are calming the demons’ whispering thoughts of not being good enough. Turning on your nightstand light doesn’t shine out shouts of fear you didn’t do enough for your aging grandmother.

Those voices, our inner demons, can manifest in the dastardliest ways.  Sometimes they pop up out of nowhere grabbing at you while watching the news.  Other times they can be the fears that blitz at you when getting ready to give a presentation.  The voices move from ear to ear “You’re going to stutter!  Your boss is going to fire you!  You might as well crawl under the conference room table now!”  This leaves you wanting the cover of your safe space, or at least the nearest bathroom stall you can lock yourself in.

What does it look like to befriend these thoughts and feelings?  To maybe look at them like Sully or Mike from Monsters Inc.? I get it, having a beer with distressing thoughts and feelings sounds like the worst kind of happy hour, but hear me out.  Avoiding them doesn’t do any good.  Learning their name and what story they are spinning just might.

Just like a great tall tale told by your favorite bartender or the local that is there every day at five, you ask yourself if there’s any evidence that the story is even true.  Maybe this is just gossip or one persons opinion.  And like with all tall tales, you listen, acknowledge(maybe even giggle at how extremely false it might be) and you move on with a clank of your beer glass.

Learn that demons name.  Have a beer with it.  Make peace with those inner demons.