Settle yourself in a comfortable position.
Let your attention come to the anchor of your breath.
Feel that nourishing breath as it enters your body.
Now let it go.
One more time.
Inhale,
Letting those ribs expand,
Pulling that breath deep inside.
Now let it go.
Welcome to a hit of hope.
We need a new holiday,
Demon Appreciation Day,
And we should throw our demons a parade.
Let me be clear,
I am not urging anyone to practice devil worship,
But I am asking you to consider naming your demons,
Which we all have aplenty,
And then celebrating how they might have served you.
Because yes,
Sometimes our demons serve us well.
Inhale.
Exhale.
You might have a perfectionist demon,
And that demon helps you work hard to do it right,
To get things done,
As the army says to be the best you can be.
You might also have a demon that is starving for a sense of worthiness.
This might serve you because you then might love others,
Support others,
So that they feel the worthiness you don't.
There might be a demon who is worried there won't be enough to go around,
And so is always saying,
But what about me?
That demon might be what makes you generous.
Of course,
There are demons that are harder to see as good,
That might leave even more damage in their wake.
A demon that gets angry and barks and growls like a dog.
A demon that doesn't know when to stop.
But maybe those demons are born of fear,
Or of wanting to connect,
To feel as if you matter,
As if you are understood.
And when you aren't feeling any of those things,
Why then that's when the demons rear their heads.
Our demons can help us.
Our demons can hurt us and those around us.
They can make us try and do better.
They can hold us back from the best versions of ourselves.
But really,
Our demons remind us that we are human,
Doing the best we can.
So let's name our demons.
Let's be honest about them and their existence.
Because it's the unknown,
The unnamed demon under the bed that is the most terrifying.
So turn on the light,
Drag your demons out,
And throw them a parade.
Like some cultures do for the Day of the Dead.
Here you are.
I see you.
Sometimes you might have served me,
But mostly I'm ready to be brave and face you,
To name you.
To acknowledge I am human.
I am a human,
Worthy of love,
Seeking connection,
Ready to be my best self.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Namaste.
