Beware of Gremlins

Are you trying to move ahead in your career, expand your business,save more money, have quality family time or play a better game of golf? Do you have glimpses of grandeur or brilliant ideas only to have them fade quickly away? A voice inside your head begins chattering, "Who do you think you are? You can't do that. That's really a dumb idea." And then you begin to worry, feel anxious, guilty or become fearful. When that happens, you have been attacked by a gremlin.

What is a gremlin? In Taming the Gremlin, Richard Carson describes the gremlin as thoughts and feelings designed to maintain the status quo. It is the force that tries to stop us from moving forward to reach for something new. It restricts our thinking, restrains our action. The gremlin resides in each of us. Behind every gremlin we find the face of fear!

The gremlin's job is to take us hostage using negative, guilt-ridden language. "If people really knew you they wouldn't like you. You are a fake and someday your boss will find out. You don't deserve that promotion. How long can you keep up with this pressure. You don't know what you are talking about." The gremlin's monologue goes on and on.

The good news is you can actually tame the little beast! First, you must notice the gremlin is actively alive in you. Second, recognize that you and your gremlin are not one and the same! You have the ability to create other messages and make new choices. The reins of the gremlin do not have to hold you back.

Using affirmations is one way to grapple with your gremlin. Positive self-talk is a powerful technique for changing the status quo. It helps us manage the fears created by our gremlin. To be really effective, affirmations must be personal, positive, in the present tense, and emotion provoking. Examples of affirmations are:

I have a thriving business.
I am a dynamic speaker.
I am worthy of prosperity.
I am a loving parent.
I have plenty of money.
I am creative and have wonderful ideas.
I am an effective communicator.

It's not enough to make a list of your affirmations. You must see them, read them, verbalize them and feel them daily. Make affirmations part of your internal dialogue. Those positive, personal, in the present emotion provoking statements can help change those old unconscious beliefs supported by your gremlin.

Affirmations are strong convictions for who you want to become and where you want to go. Convince yourself and you'll convince others. Create the beliefs of what you want and results will follow!