The Villain Within
cases, you’ll notice the contrast. You’ll be struck by the gap be- tween what is unacceptable and what is necessary. To bridge the gap, you’ll be motivated to change—motivated from your heart as well as your brain.
AN OUTER REFLECTION OF THE INNER YOU There are literally thousands of external inputs that we are exposed to every single day that impact us. Whether they feed the inner villain or empower us, they come at us nonstop. From a teacher’s instructions to a parent’s advice to a news report, the barrage of messages is constant and unrelenting. It doesn’t matter where your inner villain derives its energy, the impact can last a lifetime; you lose so much confidence that you stay right where you are, or life gets even worse. So pay attention to the external factors you need to protect yourself from, or adjust the way you receive them, because eventually they start running you. I’m talking about not just the decisions you make, but also the ways you walk, talk, and sit. Let me explain through a story how the inputs from the outside world can affect us physically. Imagine you’re at a café with outdoor seating and across the courtyard there are two people sitting at different tables. One is an unsmiling man with poor posture. The server comes by, and says, “Can I help you with anything?” He mumbles in a barely audible voice, “No, thanks.” What kind of person would you assume he is? How do you think he does at work? Is he the boss or a low-level employee? What kind of father do you think that person is? What kind of lover? How much passion for life does he have? How much joy? Does he like his job? Does he make a lot of money, or is he struggling to get by? Just based on that quick snapshot descrip- tion I gave you, you’d probably conclude that the guy slumped over at the café is struggling in life. His posture, gestures, and appearance are giving off the vibe of complacency at best and depression at worst.
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