Meeting The Enemy Within (The Devil / Part X / Lower Self)

Subject: Meeting the Enemy Within

Location: Orlando, Florida

The following article is heavily influenced by the works of Phil Stutz, Barry Michels. Authors of Coming Alive and The Tools.  You can find more about them here.

For every ying there is a yang.

For every positive, there is a negative.

So upon hearing Phil and Barry's philosophy about the subtle forces that are running our life, I was intrigued.

They talk about the life force permeating everything under our sun since the world's creation. 

It's been called different names ranging from "In Eastern religions, this energy, or Life Force, is known variously as prana (in Indian philosophy and medicine), lung (in Tibetan Buddhism), and chi (in Chinese philosophy and medicine). In the Old Testament, it was called ruach, the breath of God, which gave mankind not only life, but the spirit to evolve." (Article here)

It's the reason why a bear hunts for food and why flowers blossom.

However this 'chi' and life force is not just found in nature. It's something that's inside of every human being.

It's the crucial element of our life, that when utilized correctly fuels our inner growth and becomes the "antidote to the personal problems that fill us with a sense of powerlessness."(Article here)

So if our life force is the fuel for growth, what's the opposite?

The Counterforce to the Life Force. 

It's been called many things over the course of the history of the earth. 

Devil / Lower Self / Evil Spirits / Resistance / The Enemy Within.

Phil and Barry call it 'Part X' - for it's the part of you that wants to X out all of your potential. At DWW we call it the Enemy. 

Disclaimer: I'm not here to shape your religious beliefs in any way. You can believe whatever you find useful, however the idea of a counterforce to your growth is universal.

It's a force, not a person. It takes numerous shapes and forms in its efforts to sabotage you. 

Today will be an introduction to your enemy.

Throughout Declare War Within, we will address this counterforce by the name of Part X.

Part X Mission: To hold you back, self-sabotage yourself, utilize your weaknesses to destroy your potential.

Example: Let's say that your enemy is worry.

Part X will ruthlessly get you to obsess over the most trivial aspects of life.

Part X attacks you through thoughts, emotions and action.

The self-sabotage, the resistance, the lack of determination, laziness, the flood of impulses, procrastination and overall distractibility.

Step 1 on this journey to meeting your enemy is to label it.

We name it to tame it as Dr. Dan Siegel points out here.

Every time you notice it's emergence, name it.

"This is Part X right now."

Every single time you name it, you shine a light of awareness on it.

It's impossible to fight and defeat an invisible enemy. Every label shines a flashlight to further illuminate your understanding of what you are actually fighting. 

As you start to notice it's emergence, you begin to realize how powerful this enemy is. 

Before reading their work, I had no idea about this enemy. 

The ultimate victory for Part X is for you to not realize it's there.

Listen here for Barry and Phil's description of Part X.

No more "he had so much potential".

I'm not here to regurgitate and spit self-helpisms. 

You can live a life of meaning. You can become more than you can even imagine.

You can have the relationships, money, career, happiness that you desire.

The only way to do this is by fighting your inner enemy.

It will be the hardest battle that you can ever fight. It's a type of war that will take you to the depths of despair and to the pinnacle of happiness.

It will consist of a ruthless cutting of the useless parts of you. The bad habits and thoughts that are leading you down a path straight to a living hell.

"You can become who you can be but it won't happen magically." - Phil Stutz

This is a inner journey that starts with the realization that no-one is coming to help you.

You will have to commit to doing the hard work yourself.

However, sometimes Part X can be very overwhelming. 

As depicted in the picture below:

​​​​​Declare War Within is here to be an ally on your journey.

To help you strategize and defeat your own inner Enemy in any way shape or form.

The five steps that every victory entails (Read article here):

Step 1. Choose the enemy within (awareness)

Step 2. Strategize the attack and defense

Step 3. Declare War inwardly through commitment

Step 4. Defeat the enemy, win at all costs.

Step 5. Repeat

Write in the comments which step you find the most challenge with.

-Daniel

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