The gremlin. Everyone has one. I'll probably get a visit right before I am about to publish this post. I know him well enough to predict what he will say: no one is going to read this! Today I'll likely let him have his say, and then tell him to go read some scholarly articles in French to keep himself busy. Other days, read low energy days, he can have a stronger hold.
One of my clients decided she wanted to compost her gremlin because "it's all energy." I thought that was brilliant.
I'm a child of the 80s, so in the spirit of the movie Gremlins, I decided to make a list of the cast of characters my gremlin likes to play to shed some light on him and kill him (errrr . . . I mean, compost him). I'll share some of the characters with you, and the tasks I like to assign his various manifestations.
- Punk rock gremlin. He usually shows up when I'm about to be vulnerable and feel like a cheeseball. I usually tell him to go listen to Henry Rollins. And make it loud.
- Skeptical gremlin. She usually shows up when I'm about to be vulnerable and don't think I'm smart enough. I tell her to go read the Revue Neurologique.
- Poor house gremlin. He usually shows up when I'm feeling financially vulnerable. I tell him to go outside and look for pennies to put in his piggy bank.
- Hipster gremlin. She usually shows up when I'm feeling vulnerable, not creative, and totally style deficient. I tell her to go look at Chloe Sevigny's Instagram.
- Eco warrior gremlin. He usually shows up when I feel vulnerable because I have made an environmental compromise that doesn't match my ideal. I tell him to go scrub the tub with a toothbrush and vinegar.
- Raw foodist gremlin. She shows up when I'm feeling vulnerable about my health, and am convinced that eating clean will solve all my problems. I assign her to a lifetime of chopping fruit and vegetables.
Notice the theme here? My gremlin is trying to protect me from vulnerability. I suspect I'm not alone is this regard. I have to thank the little stinker for working so hard, but frankly his work is terrible and keeps me down. I can't let him be in charge.
I'm letting my inner wisdom be in charge (gremlin, go listen to Henry Rollins). I call her Sophia (get it?). She's rad. I'd love to help you find yours. I can't make the gremlin go away, but I can help you name him and tell him where to go.