Taming Your Gremlin

"Who am I fooling?" "I'm a loser," "I'm too old," "I'm fat," "I'm not smart enough," "I have no talent," "I'll never finish it," "It's too late," "I'm not good enough," and on and on.

Sound familiar?

Have you ever started a project or had an idea, only to abandon it as soon as negative self-talk arose? You know what I mean ~ those nasty little voices that stop you from getting what you want?

The longer I work with people, the more convinced I am that a majority of suffering could be alleviated by the simple task of taming one's Gremlin (or gremlins).

"Gremlin," is "an imaginary small creature humorously blamed for the faulty operation of airplanes or the disruption of any procedure," according to Webster's New World Dictionary.

While Webster's defines Gremlin with a twist of humor, I don't think there's anything funny about the destruction Gremlins leave in their wake.

I regularly hear about unfulfilled dreams, unwritten books, unsung songs and unlived lives. If you can change your beliefs, you can change your life.

In his book, "Taming Your Gremlin, A Guide to Enjoying Yourself, " Richard Carson says, "There's a Gremlin within you. He is the narrator in your head."

Some people think this narrator is their conscience speaking. I don't think so. My belief is that our conscience only tells us good things such as, "Call your mother," or "Give money to the poor." Carson says, "In order to tame your Gremlin, you must detect his presence; and to detect his presence, you must differentiate yourself from him."

So ? what can you do? Here are some suggestions.

First, remember that your Gremlin isn't you, it's only a bad habit formed long ago in an effort to protect yourself from rejection.

Second, remember the third law of motion from Physics: for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. So, for every negative statement you've told yourself, there is an equal positive statement. Here's an exercise I do with clients and in seminars. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. On the left hand side, write down all the comments that come to mind whenever you set out to try something new or fail at something.

Give yourself some time to make a list of 8 or 10 statements.

On the right hand side, write the mirror image of the negative one. For example, if you've written, "I'm too old," the mirror image would be, "There's still time." If you've written, "I'm stupid," the mirror image would be, "I'm smart."

When you're finished you'll have your own, very personal list of affirmations. Copy these onto nice paper and post them in prominent places. Look at them and read them throughout the day and see how it feels. It sure beats beating yourself up. These affirmations have just as much weight as the negative ones, and a lot more power if you make room for them to grow inside you.

At first they feel awkward and unnatural to say, just like beginning a new work out program feels unnatural. With time, these new statements can be formed into a new habit replacing the old ones and changing your life in subtle and not so subtle ways.

What do you have to lose?

Carol Moss
LCSW, Life Coach,
http://www.carolmoss.com

Carol Moss is a LCSW and Life Coach who loves working with smart, creative women who want to figure out what's next in their lives. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she has been a life coach for 5 years and a therapist for 10 years. Carol brings many disciplines to her coaching, including her training, many years performing as a professional actress and life experience. She is also a professional singer, performing with the duo The Sparkle Sisters (http://www.carolmoss.com).

Riverside Chicago charter limousine .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

NASA's Ingenuity helicopter, which flew on Mars in April 2021, became the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on a planet other than Earth.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Thieves who have iPhones can usually detect a hidden AirTag in vehicles they are attempting to steal, and an RFID wallet may not help you.

Genmoji, the latest addition to Apple's Apple Intelligence suite, uses artificial intelligence to generate customized emoji based on text descriptions.

It's easy to find yourself swamped in unread emails. Here are a few simple steps to archiving them and clearing out some of your digital clutter.

Keep your retirement plan safe from data brokers selling your personal information. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to protect yourself and your retirement.

Turo faces scrutiny after tragic incidents involving rented vehicles, raising questions about security measures and regulatory frameworks.

A Chinese company has developed a spherical, 276-pound law enforcement robot that has been chasing down criminals at impressive speeds.

Here are some powerful online sleuthing tricks you can use to check the credibility of a website, see old pictures of places you've lived and even learn more about your neighbors.

Beware scam calls: Avoid unknown numbers and protect your personal information. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the increasingly common scam.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you crush your New Year's goals with these 12 apps to help you stay on track and succeed.

There are many untapped safeguards and tips you can learn to take your Wi-Fi knowledge to the next level, technology expert Kim Komando shares her tricks.

VPNs ensure privacy; antivirus stops malware. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says both are essential for online security.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson cites a new report that says many people still use weak passwords like "123456," risking their accounts.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a tech support scam used a fake Windows Defender pop-up, tricking the victim to call and download software.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals ways to restore accidentally deleted text messages on your Android phone.

A new study says outdoor security camera apps are among the biggest collectors of user data, including phone numbers, payment details and precise location.

In iOS 18.2 and later, Apple's Mail app enhances email management by automatically sorting messages into distinct categories to help find emails faster.

A virtual private network (VPN) allows computer and smartphone users to mask an IP and create a secure, encrypted connection between a device and the internet.

Android 15's latest feature, Private Space, is like a private vault helping to keep your personal or sensitive apps away from prying eyes.

Cybercriminals have more ways than ever to target teenagers; here are some of the most widespread scams and tricks to watch in order to keep your loved ones safe.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A humanoid robot named CUE6 has got game. The basketball-playing robot, produced by Toyota, claimed a Guinness World Record for longest shot.

With electronic signatures becoming more common, Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to produce your digital John Hancock for online documents.

Kurt the CyberGuy walks through steps he recommends immediately taking after getting new electronics — like phones or TVs — as gifts this holiday season.

Taming Your Gremlin

Positive Attitude Tips