The Committee a.k.a. Vampire Voices
You guys know about “The Committee” right? No? Yes? Well, if you know them already, excellent! The first step is knowing that you have a problem. For those of you who don’t know them, let me introduce you. “The Committee” is a group of individuals voices in your head that decide they know what you should do, how you should do it and most of the time discourage you from doing anything that might bring you joy or change your life for the better. They can also be known as Vampire Voices because they suck your joy, love, creativity and any number of other wonderful things from you. They will deter you from change, risk, joy, excitement, high self-esteem or anything else you can possibly think of that is good for you. Not only can they be counted on to do those things but they will also judge you if you try to do anything. “The Committee” will score you based on how others have done what you are trying to do and convince you that since they did it better or better and at a younger age than you are beginning, you are way too late to the party and should give up.
Sound familiar? If not, you can stop reading this because you have it all together and nothing can touch you. But, if you are a human reading then you’ve spent a lot of time with the group of voices to which I am referring. Know that you are not alone. Know that individuals who have contributed some of the best things to our world had Vampire Voices too.
How to be as bad ass as a teenage girl
I don’t know when you grew up, but I consider Kristy Swanson to be the original and definitive Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, Ima be real with you and say I definitely watched the TV show too, so I have respect for the SMG fans. Bottom line, these were teenage girls. So, you guys, if hormonal teenagers who are usually boy and self obsessed can quit focusing on that for a second and save the world, I think we have a decent change at fighting imaginary voices. What do you think?
So, here are some ways to be a bad ass Vampire Hunter:
- Train to fight
You need to build up your brain muscles. How do you do that? Gratitude for your every day. Keep a gratitude journal. A friend once gave me very practical advice about how to be grateful for the life you’ve got. She gave me questions to ask myself in order to stop the evil voices from telling me that I won’t amount to anything because I don’t feel I have ever before.
Here are the questions you need to ask yourself to combat those voices:
what am i grateful for?
what do i hope to achieve this day?
what can i open myself to?
how may i enjoy my time?
what is the thing I am most proud of that happened today?
what am i grateful for?
2. Remind “The Committee” who is the boss.
The voices are driven by fear. Fear, when it works well, is a safety mechanism. Elizabeth Gilbert in her book, “Big Magic” explains how she writes a letter to fear. She explains how fear is there to keep us safe. So, the voices that tell you to stop are doing it because you are taking a risk. Fear is there to protect you. So, if you make friends with it, acknowledge it’s presence, thank it for it’s service and ask it to take a back seat, you can own your authority and move forward.
3. Stop running from your calling and step into it. Also known as…Own Your Awesomeness!
This last one is easier said than done. I know that from personal experience. But there is a reason that you have this desire for whatever it is you want to do. Jim Carey once said during a commencement speech, “What is it the world needs that your talent can provide?” There comes a point in life where you have to make a choice. By doing nothing you’ve also made a choice. Even though you may be scared and it feels daunting, you have to move forward. Life is short. You can’t wait around for some miraculous word or vision telling you that you are supposed to do what is in your heart. You just have to step out and do it. That’s it. That’s how you Own Your Awesomeness. You have to be courageous. Decide that you don’t want to leave this planet without doing the thing you love and fear the most. When you just decide to jump and do it, you have driven the stake into the heart of your vampires and the more you kill the easier it gets. They will never go away, but at least you know how to fight them and be as bad ass as a teenager girl.
Ebony
Ebony Vines 