Page 77 - Taming Your Gremlin A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way (Rick Carson)_Neat

When a person becomes excited about who she actually is rather than
who she wants to convince herself she is, deep inner satisfaction is close at
hand.

True satisfaction and contentment have more to do with
actualizing yourself than with actualizing your concept of who

you imagine you are supposed to be.

That is to say, true contentment is not the same as getting your act
together. Feeling good is a product of becoming aware of who you are
beneath your act or acts.

Acts

We are all, to some extent, actors. We act in order to get what we want
and need from the world. Our acts are often a result of the fears our gremlin
has instilled in us. Our acts are very personal in that they incorporate our

habits and concepts in all their complexity. As you become aware of the
personal acts you have created, you will become aware also that you have
created an imaginary audience.

In your audience, sitting front row center, will be your most powerful
critic—your gremlin. He may represent a composite of the value judgments
made by other people in your imaginary audience. Your audience may

include your mother, father, employer, friends, enemies, colleagues, or
someone with whom you feel or felt competitive. In short—your audience
is comprised of those whom you allow to have influence over your actions