Outwitting the Conman Within

Most of us are aware that conmen exist. Some of us even know the tricks they use to swindle people out of money. But did you know that conning can come from within us?

As my friend Ngishili Njuguna observed, the conman within is of an entirely different nature. And his tricks are cleverly timed. He lurks, waiting for our weakest moments, then emerges and whispers to us through a voice within, "If there is someone who deserves to feel good, it's you."

He convinces us to do something we know is wrong, claiming that it will make us feel better. If we happen to resist the temptation, the conman within adds, "No, don't mind the past or what people say. Just do it! This time it will be different."

When we finally yield to the temptation, the conman within turns against us by tormenting us with guilt over what we have done. He condemns us as worthless individuals doomed to repeat the sin.

As if that's not enough, he reminds us of other sins we committed in the past that are not related to the one he has conned us into doing. And the guilt that simmers within leaves us pleading, "When will all this end?"

In the midst of that harrowing experience, we are left feeling as ashamed and powerless as Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. The story about Adam and Eve is in the book of Genesis.

Some of the temptations the conman within can tempt us into doing during our weakest moments include having pre-marital or extra-marital sex. And he racks us with guilt if our sexual escapades result in an unwanted child or a sexually transmitted disease.

The conman within can also tempt us to oversleep in the morning if we are feeling depressed. Now, that's a temptation he has successfully tempted me into doing for the past ten years. Okay, let me tell you more.

As I wrote in my previous story on this blog, I have struggled with oversleeping ever since I was at the university in 2008. In the course of the year that ended two days ago (2018, that is), I discovered that much of the guilt I have felt for the past ten years has been as a result of oversleeping.

A lady I met on the internet and whose name I have forgotten once enlightened me that nothing encourages depression like oversleeping. From my own experiences, I would hasten to add that oversleeping also causes guilt. And the solution to overcoming the temptation to oversleep is reading something inspirational before going to bed at night and finding something fascinating to do after waking up in the morning.

I don't know about you but for me, I am thinking that writing a story in the morning could help me outwit the conman within that has tempted me into oversleeping. So I have resolved that after making my bed in the morning and uttering the Lord's Prayer, I will be meditating, doing some reading and then writing a story.

And throughout the day, I will strive to keep myself happy as Max Ehrmann pointed out in his famous masterpiece, the Desiderata. It's another effective way of outwitting the conman within. And how will I keep myself happy? By counting my blessings regularly, reading a great book, listening to beautiful music, exercising my body, talking to a friend or reminiscing about the past.