The Upside of Vampires

The Upside of Vampires Halloween Cookies by Petit Four, found via Pinterest Those whove been around these parts know that, when I speak of Vampires, Im talking about the voices/people that suck the good stuff out of us. Oh sure, Vampires are all cool and sexy now (thanks Stephanie Meyer HBO!), but in my work, theyre Cold-Blooded Dream Killers. Believe it or not, I have to retract my total Vampire hatred. I used to see them as The Enemy Who Must Be Defeated, Quickly. They tell us we have no talent, we dont have a chance, were less than, were just like everyone else, well die an old bag lady, yada yada yada. And while this totally sucks, Ive come to realize: Theyre doing us a favor. The Vampires are pointing us to exactly whats in our way. Sure, they can say it way nicer than they do, but despite the tone/attitude/obnoxiousness, the guidepost is still there. Think youll die an old bag lady? Well, map out a solid Plan B and youll be golden. Or put yourself in that scenario and realize it might actually be kinda awesome. Think you have no talent? Get a Win Book together and prove that Vampire wrong. Think you dont have a chance to make a living doing what you love? Find some people who are doing it, and use em as inspiration. Think you dont have anything unique to offer? Ask your friends and family why they keep you around/value you/find you inspiring; articulate what you got complimented on; give yourself credit for the things that come easy to you but everyone else cant do (I promise your head wont swell if you dwell on the positive). So, the next time that Vampire comes a-whispering, dont send him away so quickly. Invite him in, give him a glass of red wine (close enough to what hes used to drinking, right?), and listen to what he has to say. Its only then, once youve heard him through, that you can take action on what hes telling you, and you can slay him once and for all. ________________________________________________