There are a myriad of personal problems, demons if you will, that affect all of us. We fight them in different ways as we watch our society promote the very elements that hide and harbour these demons. Excessive wealth, consumption and greed are on every signpost, reality TV promo and banner the proverbial ’they’ can lay their grubby paws on.
I fight mine too: my binge attitude to alcohol; too big an ego; even sporadic jealousy. These are not things I am proud of, but things that creep into our lives easily.
I find solace in the simpler things though: Zen Habits by Leo Babauta , Patagonia ( the brand) and various champions of the simple life make it easy to look for heroes and motivations on the road less travelled.
If you were to make things simpler, and better, what would you do?
Bob
I find that merely mentioning or sharing your fears, demons and worries (as you have done here so bravely) is a very liberating experience. You have mentioned some of these above and there might even be more – but keep them for a rainy day when you are ready to deal with some of them. These are all manageable when you pay close attention to them and if they interfere with your daily life, family and the ability to function properly. Other than that, it’s a healthy thing to be aware of these “demons” and basically “manage” them before they become too much for one man to bare alone.
Like you said, everyone has these. It’s all about getting the balance right. If you regret too much, you tend to break down your own already healthy self-esteem and you might even remove yourself slightly from society. Take it in your stride, don’t make a fuss about it, but deal with the things that bother you the most and the things you are afraid that might hurt others close to you the most. Life is short. We know this! Give it horns, you are doing splendidly.