Maybe it was fortuitous, but I happened upon this blog post one day after reflecting on the conduct of an artist who I’m close to. The post is a reflection on the various ways some of us sabotage ourselves without having the slightest clue we are doing it.
I
think this applies to all human endeavors. The crux of it is that because it
sounds an illogical thing to do, we refuse to see it. Competing with insufficient
or no preparation, spending time in useless activities that do not so much as
bring us joy, spewing unkind words born of frustrations at the people who love
us most and could help— all examples of self-sabotage. All lend themselves to
easy explanations to self that disguise the drive behind them: I do not deserve
success.
In
one way, no one deserves anything. But striving to do something that adds value
and having it recognized is a worthwhile way to go through life. Thus, if we
just remove the notion of “deserving,” maybe we’ll also withdraw our third invisible foot that
somehow, against reason, we have placed right where we step. Maybe this will
prevent the next tripping up. Maybe.
