The Monsters Under My Bed
The monsters were never under my bed. Because the monsters were inside my head. I fear no monsters, for no monsters I see. Because all this time the monster has been me ― Nikita Gill
Anke Herrmann is well known in the 3 Principles community as the ‘Tech Monster Whisperer’. In 2004 she quit her IT job in the UK to move to Spain and follow her passion. That passion was to open her own sewing company making flamenco costumes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all wine and roses. As with any new business, Anke came up against some challenges that she did not anticipate. Still, she persevered, and eventually, her stress and burnout lessened, and she started to enjoy living life in the flow of creativity. She was so excited by the transformation within her own experience; she wanted to help others find the same level of satisfaction in their lives too.
It was while searching for a Professional Coaching Certification program, Anke stumbled across the 3 Principles. The positive impact this Understanding had on her life was immeasurable. This led to a desire to help others who were in a similar situation. People who had reached a point in their lives where they were now ready to share their unsung-song with the world. While coaching these passion-driven solopreneurs, Anke noticed that many of them struggled with a fear of technology, which got in the way of them sharing their passion. This realization was the inspiration behind Anke’s newly released book ‘Taming the Tech Monster,’ how to rise above tech frustration and build your business online with joy and confidence.
This led me to wonder what other ‘Monsters’ lurk in the closets and under the beds of our minds. In the past, I had quite a collection of ‘Monsters’ living in my head. The ‘I’m Not Good Enough Monster’ and the ‘Fear of Making a Fool of Myself Monster’ were two of my favorites. Then there were the others. The ‘Fear of Making a Mistake Monster,’ ‘You Must Be Perfect Monster,’ and the ‘Fear of Failure Monster.’ There were so many ‘Monsters’ taking up space in my head. Their taunts and threats were immobilizing me with fear.
When I came across the Principles and began to understand the illusory nature of thought, my scary ‘Monsters’ lost their grip on me. Like a small child who grows up to find out that the monsters they believed lived in their bedroom closets or hid under the bed at night weren’t real, I too was relieved to find out the scary ‘Monsters’ who lived in my head weren’t real either. They were simply a manifestation of my insecure thinking. I began to see that not only didn’t I have to believe them, and I didn’t need to slay them either. They were not real, so therefore I had nothing to fear or eliminate.
All they were habitual thought patterns that had created a temporary groove in my mind. Nothing permanent. Nothing that awareness couldn’t erase. The relief of not having to go to battle with them was enormous. There was no need to counterattack them with affirmations or more years of therapy. I could just let them pass through me without a struggle, and they would leave as fast as they came in. With no effort or will power on my part. These scary ‘Monsters’ still like to visit me now and again, especially when trying something new. But that’s all they are, visitors from the past. A misguided coping mechanism that is no longer of use to me.
Knowing that wisdom has my back every second of every day is all I need to know. Knowing that there’s no such thing as a mistake is empowering. Knowing that it’s okay to be human and fall flat on my face is liberating. Life is so much more fun now that I’m not being chased by scary ‘Monsters.’
With love and appreciation, Del💕