The Devil is a Squirrel
We tend to think of the devil as a looming, horned, human+goat combo with wings, a whiplike tail and bad breath come to scare the shit out of you.
The devil exists—but not like that.
The real devil is so small and familiar that we ignore it, until it’s too late and the damage is done.
The Devil Makes Trouble
It’s not Satan or Beelzebub keeping me from my goals.
It’s self doubt.
It’s not Lucifer taking the shape of your boss or client that keeps you from trusting your voice or talent, it’s your low self worth.
It’s the small ache of fear of the future that keeps us at jobs we hate.
And our obsession with complaining keeps us describing our every effort as “Hard.”
The devil is a squirrel.
The expression, "The devil is a squirrel" comes from Germany and is a cautionary phrase telling us that the devil often comes disguised as something seemingly harmless.
This squirrel metaphor has come full circle in my life, not only because I suffer the crippling effects of doubt but, ironically, I have a squirrel problem.
My yard backs up to open woods and all its wildlife. Our dogs love spending the mornings barking at deer and chasing the local squirrels. We even gave them toy squirrels so they can continue their play inside.
But now, I’ve found I actually have squirrels... INSIDE!
They’ve gnawed their way through the eaves and are living in the comfort of my attic and walls where they choose to bed down and poop at will.
The havoc they create at night, the scratching and thumps, have turned my house into an Amityville Horror.
We all have squirrels in our attic...
We've all got some form of inner critic that runs rampant, scaring us into submission and keeping us frozen in fear.
It's our lack of confidence that keeps us asking, “Am I any good?”
It's the fear of imaginary haters and the "unsubscribes" we think we will get if we ship our newsletter.
Or the moans of "WTF?" that you expect to hear if you put your opinion forth in a meeting.
These small, reticent fears are what stop us from using our voice, taking a stand and becoming fully the creatives that we know we can be.
The base of all fear is the unknown.
It's uncertainty and all the “What If’s” that we're really afraid of.
And their purpose is to keep you small, stressed and stop you from creating.
We may not have invited the squirrels, but it’s our job to flush them out and strengthen our mindset to protect it from future infestation.
I’m doing the work, taking care of my squirrel problems. Inside and out.
Let me help you.
We all (and I mean ALL) need help with our conviction and confidence. The role of "Creative" is not an easy one. As a creative coach I’ve helped people figure out:
How to turn their side gig into their real gig.
How to get their voice into the world.
How to change careers without quitting their job—yet.
How to define and declare their purpose, what’s next, what’s missing, and how to bring the magic back.
I help people to get paid to do what they love.