The Starved Demon

Metaphorical Narrative

Every time you rose, the manic enforcer twisted it, hissing louder, feeding on your glow.
Better to dim yourself, you thought, than give it fuel.
So you betrayed your own light, hiding it under ashes, until the body forgot how to burn.
But today you see the truth: the demon doesn’t eat your star — it only thrives if you hand it over.
You hold your star close, watch the enforcer shrivel, hungry but powerless.
For the first time, you rise and the demon starves.

Core Insight

Your paralysis wasn’t weakness. It was survival under a false rule: “Better fail than feed the critic.”
But success was never its fuel. Handing over your shine was.
When you keep your achievements as yours, the demon withers.
Your rising star is nourishment for you alone.

Saturday Experiment

1. List one success you used to downplay (grade, skill, strength).
2. Say out loud: “This belongs to me.”
3. Place your hand on your chest, breathe in slowly, and picture that star glowing inside.
4. Whisper: “Rise feeds me. The demon starves.”

Sunday Reflection (3rd person)

• What success did they used to hand over as fuel?
• How did their body react to keeping it close?
• When they imagine the critic shrinking, what new energy appears?
• How will they keep their rising star from being stolen again?