/‘The biggest devil is me’….Whitney Houston

‘The biggest devil is me’….Whitney Houston

If we’re honest enough, these are five words we can all attest too. But just because we say it, recognize it and even acknowledge it, doesn’t mean we’ve taken control.

The death of any individual is never meant to be an opportunity to scrutinize and state all the should’ve, would’ve, and could’ves about that individual’s life, but is instead an opportunity to explore all the lessons we can take from that life and implement into our own. So instead of only wishing things could’ve been different for Whitney, let’s see what we can learn from her life for our own good.

Once an individual can recognize that ‘the biggest devil is me’, they now have the opportunity to change so many things within their own life. To recognize such a claim can mean so many things. It means you now understand that any decision you make is yours alone no matter how many people it might affect. It means you understand that you have the prerogative to make those decisions, even if it’s a last minute decision. Some of the most impacting decisions we make are the ones we make at the last minute. It means that you have just released any and everybody from being the responsible party for all your mistakes and all your failures. Most importantly, it means you recognize the God-given power you have and the free will to do as you please.

Having all of these epiphanies might sound like you’ve just won the battle, but the truth is to actually act off of what you’ve just learned about yourself is ‘alot easier said, than done’. To act off of such an awareness means alot for not only yourself, but also for those around you. If and when you do act in your own best interest, based on this simple belief, it could mean saying no to alot of things people want you to say yes too. It means you find a way to express what will and will not be for you, hopefully in a way that doesn’t offend anyone, but more importantly in a way that is clear and concise. To act off of this belief also means that you are constantly ‘checking’ yourself consciously in regards to everything you take part of, what you think about yourself, and how you present yourself. The most important action you learn to take is to stop blaming anyone else for the state you’re in.

But knowing ‘the biggest devil is me’ doesn’t mean a whole lot if you don’t act upon this belief. It sounds good and may be perhaps your greatest epiphany but at the same time, your greatest demise could be to know and not act accordingly. The hardest part about living by such a notion could mean that it will force you to establish a relationship with yourself that many cannot handle because it entails accepting alot of blame, possibly chastising yourself for making bad choices, and even having the courage to make last minute decisions. It’s a constant battle of doing what others want and doing what’s best. The truth is it’s a claim that many already know about themselves, choose to live with, but never really own it. 

So whether you choose to recognize yourself as your biggest devil, your biggest stronghold, or your biggest roadblock, it is most important to recognize that you are yours and only you can do something about it. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re never really pleased with who you are and may have even experienced some level of self-hate, perhaps not recognizing that ‘the biggest devil is me’ is the root of such confusion. It takes guts to own such a claim but to do so can also mean winning many battles within. Whitney knew that about herself but is that where it ended for her? Just knowing? The biggest lesson we can learn from her life is we can do more than just know it, we can ACT ACCORDINGLY.

 

Regards..

Tawana R. Powell