Don’t Run From Your Demons

I am watching Peaky Blinders these days. I’m not usually one for such violence, but the family likes it and so it’s good bonding time.

One line stuck out to me in particular. Uncle Charlie says to his nephew Tommy in regard to avoiding going crazy or committing suicide, “You have to move around or the guilt catches up with you… You have to keep moving or it all catches up with you.”

I blurted out loud, “Opposite!” And my wife thought that would make a good newsletter, so here we are.

Running is short-sighted. Nobody can run forever. Not even David Goggins. We can never outrun or escape ourselves. We’ll just end up alone and that voice in our head will only get louder.

​​So don’t run from your demons. You have to make peace with the demons or you won’t ever have peace.

I understand why people think running away makes sense. It feels like an immediate solution. And it’s counterintuitive to look closer at our troubles. It’s so hard and scary to look at our pain that we don’t even think of it as a possibility.

But that pain is a cancer that grows and spreads to every part of our life. We are so good at stuffing it down, ignoring it and running away from it that we may not even know it’s there. So we have to give ourselves the MRI. We have to scan our body and mind for any trace of pain or trauma.

Once discomfort rises to the surface of our consciousness and we notice it, that’s when the real work begins. Don’t hate it or run from it. Keep looking. Don’t react at all. Don’t let it control you. Don’t give it any energy whatsoever. Don’t try to think about something else. Don’t crave after happy thoughts. Just watch the activity of the mind until it settles back down naturally. This is how we will notice the mind cannot control us. This is how we become truly free.

Running is easy. When we learn to rest — deep and peaceful rest — then there’s nothing we can’t do or overcome. 

Much love,
Todd

P.S. Here are a few other topics that I covered recently:

Is it even possible to succeed in life without being highly competitive? (Watch Here) What is the one solution to freeing ourselves from destructive thoughts and emotions? (Watch Here) What can we do to grow in happiness and never lose our childlike wonder? (Watch Here) Where do we draw the line between compassion and being a doormat? (Watch Here) What can we do when our thoughts make us miserable? (Listen Here) Path to Peace with Todd Perelmuter Newsletter Email JOIN

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Published on August 06, 2025 01:33
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