The Naked Millennial

1 Way I Took Control of my Inner Demon

It’s Sunday, June 16^th, 2013.

(Happy Father’s Day, by the way!)

And it’s 2:49 PM. 

I’m currently sitting here on my couch, biting my nails. My mouth is watering, my eyes are darting back and forth, my mind is wandering all over the place, and those little mental ‘tingles’ (itchiness, sensations, anything resembling a minor distraction sensory-wise) is all over my system. Suddenly, all of your senses enhance ten-fold. 

What is this that I feel? And why do I feel this way? 

This is one of those moments when nothing of note is happening—nada, zip, zilch. You’re alone in your little abyss, just waiting to fill that very void, just itching to distract yourself in some way. Anything will do.

And they call it the imp. That little devil on your shoulder, that monkey on your back. He sends all the signals to your system, frequently and relentlessly harassing you. So how should we soothe it like we quiet a crying baby? 

Well, some people would smoke a cigarette. 

Do drugs.

Drink alcohol.

Commit a crime. 

Fiercely masturbate.

Anything.

As for me? This is precisely the moment when I would get up and eat something. 

Or at least I used to.

When I was growing up, I would just eat and eat constantly. Anything I can get my hands on. And then I would watch television or surf on the Internet. Or play video games when the occasion was right. I wasn’t active. I was always hungry. All of this translates into a recipe for obesity.

As time went on, this became a full-blown addiction that I’ve suffered from for many years. When a void set in, when my mind didn’t know what to do next—I reacted almost involuntarily with the answer that I got from my inner demon: I got up and reached for food. And nothing could stop me since I didn’t know how to fill that inner void in a constructive manner. I didn’t know how to say ‘no’ to the imp, that monkey or whatever it may be. I didn’t have an answer for that imp, so he habitually created an answer for me. He made my choices when I didn’t.

When you fill that void with anything (primarily with drugs, food, and sex) then it becomes a habit. The devil enables it and precisely says, “Here’s my answer: fill that inner void with bad habits.”  And so many of us do. After all, we are human beings and not so many of us have firm grips of our consciousness. We act out of our impulses (notice how we spell ‘impulse’ with the word ‘imp’ in it? Ah-ha!).

I won’t lie: my impulse crippled me for years and it ultimately led to obesity for years and years (eventually ballooning as heavy as 484 lbs.) until I did something about it.

However, I made a solution against this demon through experience and it’s this: refrain from being idle and never allow your inner demon to direct you. That imp will have an answer for you precisely when you’re idle.

It’s simple but it’s hard. Very hard. In fact, I struggle with it every day but I manage to take it 1 day at a time.

I try to stay very busy and do constructive things like writing this very blog post. All human beings are destined for labor, not idleness. Or else. That’s why there’s crime, masturbation, obesity, and drugs. 

Sitting in classrooms or cubicles for 8 hours straight, watching television, surfing the internet, playing video games and the likes promotes idleness. Do actual labor instead.

At the very end of this blog post, the demon is silent.

I told it to fuck off. And he did.

And then I got busy.

Therefore, a very important skill that I've learned in my 20's: always be on a mission.

The Road Begins Here

Ahem! 

My name is Kelvin Burnett.

As you may have guessed it: this is my very first blog post, ever.

I made this particular first post as a checkpoint just so I can trace back here and see how far I've came along when the time comes; I've made this very blog just to track where and how far I've traveled along. As of right now though, the Naked Millennial has 1 page view (me), 0 comments, 1 following (myself) and 0 followers. Oh and 1 blog post.

So, I'm using this blog to tell a story about myself, which may relate, inspire, or teach y'all.

And feel free to grab a seat and tune in if you like.

Well, to start off: I'm just your average millennial (25 years old to be exact) and I am embarking on a voyage in a strange new world. I don't have a map, compass or even a nagivator. I just have myself and a flashlight (that I like to call 'awareness'), which can only see as far as it can see. If I am being very honest about life right now, I would say that: it's dark, the light's pretty dim and it's very scary. I don't know what lies ahead but I'm taking a step, one at a time. However, they will all add up.

I sense that I'm not the only one stuck in this dark cave. There's millions just like me: fellow travelers with a dimly lit flashlight (of 'awareness'), which can see only so far.

And guess what? There's no one to directly help us, to guide us or even give us a clue. So we choose ourselves as navigators. At least, that's what I'm doing.

Hey, it's scary and not so easy, I know. 

Like I said above, that's why this blog was created - it's a tracker to see how far I've come along as a millennial in this new world. Right now, I'm doing a number of different things: a special project, bodybuilding, learning new things and keeping track of it all, right here in this very blog.

And there you have it. That's my intro. And I hope it wasn't too bad.

Until next time.