The Saboteur

Lying dormant within, this sly critic disguises itself as the voice in our head that decides to show up, crash the party, and tell us we're not good enough.

It makes it's debut in the form of resistance just as we're about to start a creative endeavor. 
It thrives off of procrastination.
It has a middle and a last name. Fear and Doubt.
It decides to flare up and give its spiel on the top 10 reasons why you shouldn't take the new opportunity that will allow you to soar to new heights.  
It shows up in the form of addiction.
If we're not careful and present, it can grow in strength like a tropical depression that turns into a category 5 hurricane destructing everything on our path.

Yet... it can be our biggest teacher in achieving empowerment. The ones that have figured out how to befriend the Saboteur are the ones that have learned to take ownership of their personal power. The Saboteur still resides within them, but they have learned to become the witness of it and know they are separate from it. It is a part of them, but it isn't who they are. So when the moment arises, and the Saboteur appears: pay attention to "it", watch what it wants to do in those moments when you're on the verge of a breakthrough (small or large), accept that it exists (no point in trying to push it away), know you are separate from it, stand up to it and say "meh...not this time", and carry forward. When it's time for it to make it's next appearance, you'll know what to do. Onward.