Sometimes we lose ourselves and sometimes we lose our way, even if for just an unfortunate moment. It happens to all of us at various times in various ways. We pick the wrong people, we make a bad decision, we say a stupid thing. It’s in these moments of bad decision and sometimes raw coincidence that the best and the worst of us got at it. This is the battle of your Monkey and your Angel.
Enter the Monkey
Do you know the Monkey? Yeah, you know the Monkey. The Monkey is that little bastard who comes out when things are tough for us. He takes his place on our shoulder, taps us to get our attention, and then starts his sermon. You know how it goes… “You were such a fool to do that.” “What were you thinking?” “Did you really say that?” And then we start feeling the feelings that the Monkey brings our way. Insecurity. Doubt. Self-hate. I hate the Monkey. He’s such a little bastard.
When we are children, it’s in our basic nature that we like and even love ourselves. We are innocent and the world us a safe place. It’s only as we become older than we learn about the Monkey. The Monkey is the representative of all of those around us who see us as less than our best and less than our true nature would tell us. But our nature is true, so the real question is when we’ve lost our way, how do we find our way back?
Our Better Angels of course.
Enter the Angel
Our Better Angels are the best parts of who we are. They are our kindness, our willingness to listen, and in our relationships, the capacity to give and forgive. The interesting thing about the Monkey and the Angel is that the Monkey is intrinsic, and the Angel is extrinsic. The Monkey is selfish, the Angel is selfless.
Sometimes we lose our way, and we want to get back to our innocence – our true nature. So the real message here is that when you are lost, remove yourself from yourself and focus on what’s around you. How can you make someone else’s lot in life a little better? What can you do to be the change you want to see in the world? How can you be there for someone less fortunate than you? Remember – The Monkey is a taker; the Angel is a giver. Our Better Angels are here to put the best part of ourselves out into the world to love, support, and help each other. Why? Because at the end of all of this, that’s all that really matters.
Good luck and have a good week.
Joe Still
2023.08.13
Cite
“Angels are like diamonds. They can’t be made; you have to find them.”
– Jaclyn Smith