Monday, June 10, 2013

The Fat Demon

The best and most useful thing a friend has ever said to me flew out of her mouth a few months ago:

"We do not have time for your body issues."

At first glance, and without further context, this may sound harsh.  It was, a little, but it was also the best thing a friend has ever had the nerve to say to me.  Here's a little context.  My best friend and I have been working together to launch a beauty retail company, and we were meeting to discuss our trip to Korea to meet and recruit suppliers.  I was giving my usual wahhh-wahhhh speech about how I'm too fat to function and can't possibly be seen by anyone in the beauty industry.  

If you know me in real life, or just through this blog, you're aware that I'm neurotic and high-maintenance.  It's part of my charm.  But, you know, sometimes it takes a good friend to call me out on my theatrics and ridiculousness to get my focus back on what's real and not some crazy imagined demon

But here's the thing: my Fat Demon (her name is Ana and she can be a real biatch) keeps holding me back.  Good things can come along and then - wham - there's the demon.

There are lots of demons out there besides her.  Maybe it's the Rejection Demon, or his cousins Anxiety, Perfectionism, or Shyness that live alongside you.  Maybe it's another type of demon entirely.  Regardless of what is holding you back from being your ultimate self (or whatever) is often completely imagined.  Sure, it seems pretty darn real when you and that demon are thick as delusional thieves, but it's all an illusion.  Just like I'm not walking around shaking the earth or having a single person look at me and think I'm fat, no one can see your demon either. 

So, I'm declaring today as the day that the Fat Demon and I stop hanging out.  I suggest that you and your demon do the same.  Or, if that's too big of a step for now, take some advice from The Simpsons and "just don't look."


Disclose.tv - just don't look