Abstraction

It must be uniquely human, this ability to look at oneself from an outside perspective. Is it related to intellect? I don't know.

It slowly sneaks in somewhere along the path of growth, initially through emulation of someone else's perspective, later on it soars on wings of its own. Everytime you do it, you evolve, bit by bit. There is a catch here though, one can let go of these little dew drops of revelation, let them trickle away, evaporate or just dry off; other option being, to assimilate them and make them a part of you, forever.

A good guide is your pain, it creates a ring of inflammation around the nugget of truth. You have to decide to enter the arena, fight the duel and come back with the revelation. Once you've won it, preserve it, assimilate it and own it, you will never have to do it again. It has given you strength, vision and resolve, you have evolved, maybe by a minuscule amount.

These learnings are like maths formulae, once you get the method, you're home. Next problem is just a matter of application, almost involuntary.

The path is easy, but hidden in plain sight, our emotions blind us, divert and befuddle us from it. All along the journey or the little eddy in which you are stranded, you have a choice, a choice of being the master of your pain, of owning the consequences and surpassing the fear of loss. Once you do this, you are free, to go in any direction, nothing ordains or traps you. 

Every time in a predicament, just stop for a minute, detach yourself, sit down and sing, then come back to the demon and take it for a walk. And sing along the path, dance if possible, the demon is pale now, he is surprised, confused, fallen. You are leading now, he follows for some time, then you don't look back, you have soaked in the sunshine and soared, he has dissolved.

When the little battle is over, you reminisce, sometime in future, and discover, the uncanny resemblance you had with the demon....