The Force Within: Overcoming Your Gremlin, Embracing Your Cheerleader
February 2025
Hello, Community – How are we already halfway through February?! I loved hearing from those of you who shared how the Adventurer, Passenger, or Skeptic framework helped you check in with yourself in a new way. Your stories about embracing each mindset with more compassion and empathy were a powerful reminder that, while our experiences may differ, our emotions connect us. By sharing our stories, we realize we’re never truly alone.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak at a leadership conference at a college in Wisconsin. While I’ve presented, taught, and facilitated hundreds of times, keynote speaking is its own craft—a blend of storytelling, performance, education, facilitation, and a certain magic I’m still exploring.
In today’s newsletter, I want to share something that happened after the keynote—an experience that gave me a whole new appreciation for the saying, "Art imitates life, and life imitates art."
The Force Within:
Overcoming Your Gremlin, Embracing Your Cheerleader
It’s 10:30 AM on Super Bowl Saturday. Snow is falling in Wisconsin, and I’m sitting in my rental car, taking a few deep breaths after delivering my keynote—"From 0-26.2: Moving Towards Your Goals One Step at a Time."
As I decompress before heading to the airport, something catches me off guard.
My Inner Gremlin shows up.
That little voice in my head starts whispering:
"You could have done better."
"Did they actually get anything from that?"
"What if it wasn’t as impactful as you thought?"
The irony isn’t lost on me—just moments ago, I had been on stage talking about this very thing: the Inner Gremlin and its counterpart, the Inner Cheerleader. And yet, here I was, caught in the same downward spiral I had just encouraged those student leaders to break free from.
I had connected the Inner Gremlin and the Inner Cheerleader to The Force in Star Wars. Fittingly, the day of my keynote was John Williams’ birthday (if you know me, you know my deep love for JW!), and Harrison Ford is an alum of the college—so, of course, Star Wars had to make an appearance in my talk. 🙂
If you’ve ever watched Star Wars (I actually have it playing in the background as I write this), you know about the Light and Dark sides of The Force. There’s the pull toward fear, doubt, and control—and then there’s the choice to trust, believe, and stay open.
Our inner dialogue works the same way.
The Inner Gremlin is the voice of doubt, fear, and self-limiting beliefs. It thrives on insecurity, self-judgment, and hesitation.
The Inner Cheerleader is the voice of encouragement, self-trust, and possibility. It reminds us of our strengths, growth, and potential.
Just like in Star Wars, both forces exist within us. The key isn’t to eliminate the Gremlin—it’s to recognize its presence and actively choose which voice to amplify. Or, as Yoda might say: “Control, control, you must learn control!”
The thoughts we fuel—light or dark, empowering or limiting—shape not only our mindset but also our actions and outcomes.
Take Luke Skywalker, for example. When he began Jedi training, he doubted his ability to wield The Force. His fear and hesitation clouded his potential, and it took practice, persistence, and Yoda’s guidance to quiet his doubts and trust himself.
During the keynote, I led the audience through an exercise I’d love to share with you. It was a powerful way to recognize the voices inside our heads—the Inner Gremlin and the Inner Cheerleader.
And in a fitting twist, I ended up using the same exercise on myself in the car afterward—choosing, in real time, not to let my Gremlin pull me toward the Dark Side.
Let’s Take a Selfie!
Yes—right now, grab your phone and take a selfie.
Step 1: Let Your Inner Gremlin Speak
Look at the photo and invite your Inner Gremlin to take the mic.
Write down what it says—unfiltered.
Notice the tone, patterns, and how it makes you feel.
Step 2: Reset with a Few Deep Breaths
Inhale deeply, then exhale with an audible sigh.
Repeat a few times to create space for a shift.
Step 3: Let Your Inner Cheerleader Speak
Look at your selfie again, this time inviting your Inner Cheerleader to step up.
Listen to what it has to say—write those words down.
Notice how these words feel in comparison.
If you struggle with this, imagine what a close friend would say about you.
This exercise reveals the constant dialogue happening in our minds. And once we see it, we can begin to shift it.
But how? That Gremlin voice can be really loud.
Trust me, I get it—mine was especially loud that morning. That’s why after the exercise, I introduced the audience to three key mental training techniques to help shift their inner dialogue and amplify their Inner Cheerleader.
✨ Thought Stopping – The moment you notice a Gremlin thought, pause and mentally say STOP before it spirals.
✨ Positive Replacement – Reframe the thought with a new perspective. Instead of "I wasn’t good enough," try "I showed up fully and gave my best." (To be clear, this isn’t about toxic positivity—forcing happy thoughts doesn’t help. The new thought should be both supportive and true.)
✨ Affirmations – Short, present-tense “I” statements that reinforce self-supportive beliefs. A simple one? "I am capable, and I am enough."
These tools won’t silence the Gremlin completely—but they will shift the power balance, helping you choose your Cheerleader more often.
As I sat in my car after the keynote, I had a choice: let my Gremlin define the experience or hand the mic to my Cheerleader.
I reminded myself—the Gremlin’s voice didn’t mean I failed; it meant I cared. And when I paused long enough to listen to my Cheerleader, I realized the truth: I had shared something meaningful, and that mattered.
I was also proud—not just of the speech itself, but of the entire process. The writing, editing, practicing, delivering, and reflecting afterward—all of it was part of my growth. Every step was a commitment to showing up fully, learning, and continuing to build confidence in my keynote journey.
Take a moment to reflect:
When does your Inner Gremlin tend to be the loudest? What activates it?
What would your Inner Cheerleader say to you right now if you gave it the mic?
Can you think of a time when you shifted from Gremlin thinking to Cheerleader thinking? What helped?
What’s one affirmation or positive replacement thought you can practice this week?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to hear from you!