Conquering Foes
As my readers know, my heroine, Corrie Locke, always brings criminals to justice. Even if she has to take a few wrong turns first. Corrie is adept at capturing public enemies and foes. But what about other kinds of foes, like fear, anger, anxiety? Inner foes that need to be overcome for us (and fictional characters) to make progress.
In Corrie’s case, she sometimes suffers from preconceived, negative notions about people; she doesn’t give them a fair chance. Her suspicious nature stems from living a case-cracking life, but she’s tapering it down. Lately (in MURDEROUS MEANS), she’s been giving suspects a chance to prove they’re not as bad as she thinks. She’s growing in the right direction.
Are we growing in the right direction? Here are a few steps that help overcome pesky negative inner foes:
– Slowing down 
Slowness helps us cultivate patience – outside events don’t bother us as much when we exercise patience. Inner turmoil becomes easier to diffuse. Patience nurtures persistence; it’s necessary to outwit inner foes. Without patience and persistence, Corrie would be out of a job.
– Enthusiasm 
Enthusiasm gives us the attitude we need – in fact, it keeps fear, anxiety, and anger at bay. Did you know that dolphins are considered one of the happiest animals on earth? At least that’s the vibe they put out there. Imagine if we felt that way, all the time – there’d be little space for negative emotions.
– Self-control 
Bluebirds have self-control. I’ve watched them in action. A nest sat right next to our vegetable garden. When we interrupted them at feeding times, they patiently waited, undisturbed, until we moved away, then calmly fed their young. Their hearts never seemed troubled. Okay, I don’t really know if that’s true, but it appeared that way to me. Fear and worry didn’t run their lives.
A very learned person once said: “Use every moment of activity as a stepping stone to where you’d like to be.”
