Look After Your Gnome
Posted on | May 4, 2010 | 8 Comments
We all have gnomes that follow us around and pop up at the most inopportune time. Some of yours might be named “I’m Just Not Good Enough” or “They Must Know Better Than Me” and “I’m Not Capable”. A writer might have a gnome called “No One Would Care About What I Have to Say” or even the dreaded “I Don’t Have the Talent”. One of mine is named “It’s Not Going to Work.” They are insistent little beasts. You think you’ve vanquished them only to find them sitting next to you on the couch, looking up at you with oh, so innocent little eyes.
When they show up, our first instinct is to either completely ignore them or slay them, quickly and soundly. However, history tells us that the little beasts refuse to be ignored for long and are not known to stay slain, so what must we do?
I say, first we must acknowledge them. That in itself will defuse much of their power. Then it might be productive to see where they’ve come from. Most of our gnomes are there because at one time they were protecting us from something. Who knows what at this point. Perhaps the hurt received from a misguided friend or an uncomprehending adult. Perhaps the slight from a bully. It’s probably not important to know what, exactly, but once you see that they are only there for your good, you can look at them in a completely different way.
Rather than trying to slay them, you might consider looking after them, caring for them.
“I see you hiding there behind the television set,” you might say. Bid them come sit next to you, hug them and tell them softly, “You have done a wonderful job of protecting me. Thank you so much. I am very grateful. I’m much stronger, now, and can protect myself, so you can go outside and play.” Then kiss them on the forehead and let them go with an affectionate pat on the fanny.
Once you do that, your resistance to them will disappear and, as we have been told, that which we resist persists. Once your resistance to them is gone, their power over you will be gone also. The gnome may still be there, may still creep in when you least want to see them, but you will have already undone their special magic.
So look after your gnome!
(My eternal gratitude to Lawrence Ball for suggesting this wonderful image.)
~Geoff Hoff
Co-author of the how-to guide On Writing a Short Story.
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May 4th, 2010 @ 1:10 pm
I love this idea! LOL… cute and, my guess would be, completely true!
Nice post, as always. Where do you get all your ideas from? You must have a storehouse of them because you just keep surprising me!
.-= Deb Augur´s last blog ..WordPress 3.0 is Coming With Major Changes =-.
May 4th, 2010 @ 1:27 pm
Thank you so much for your kind comments.
No, I don’t have a storehouse of ideas, I’ve just trained myself to notice when the Universe (or my subconscious) is kind enough to present me with one. We teach that in our writing courses! (How’s that for inserting a shameless plug into a comment!)
May 4th, 2010 @ 1:29 pm
That’s a great way to think about a perplexing problem… I was just listening to something else today talking about self-sabotage, and how whenever one of these “Gnomes” pop up, Congrats!
You’ve just identified a limiting belief!
If it’s keeping you from doing something that you think you should do, it obviously has a reason. If it stops you from losing weight, it may think that being fat is safer. If it stops you from being successful, it’s trying to help you from being different or put on the spot, etc…
All in all, a great little metaphor. Now send that pointy headed little fella out into the yard to play!
.-= Mike Sweezy´s last blog ..Two Hugs and a Hooah! =-.
May 4th, 2010 @ 1:34 pm
Mike – as usual, your comment is wonderful, insightful, well written and and gratefully accepted.
Thanks!
May 4th, 2010 @ 9:08 pm
This one hits home with me, Geoff!
I am forever aware that there are TWO parrots sitting on my shoulders (most people only have one parrot and in your case, a “gnome”)
These two pesky creatures play the “push and pull” game with me all the time. One is saying, “Go for it, you know you can do it!” and the other, well … you can fill in the blanks.
I love the concept of putting your foot down, taking control, and regaining the power, just like you would if you had a ghostly encounter.
Cool stuff!
Melanie
.-= Melanie Kissell´s last blog ..Are You A “Great Post!” Commenter? =-.
May 4th, 2010 @ 9:16 pm
Melanie,
May 4th, 2010 @ 10:38 pm
Geoff,
Love the imagery here, as well as the wisdom. Can’t help seeing all the little Travelocity fellas sitting beside me on the couch.
Thanks for this!
Marcia
.-= Marcia Hoeck´s last blog ..Why Won’t They Respond? Base Your Business Positioning on Your True Offer =-.
May 4th, 2010 @ 11:27 pm
Marcia, thank you and you’re welcome. The gnomes I was thinking of were much more from fantasy literature than that, but the Travelocity ones work just as well.