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You’re Not a Success Machine, Despite What You’ve Been Taught
And Other Things Society Doesn’t Want You To Know
Have you been struggling to stay still lately? Are you the kind of person who feels guilty when you haven’t done anything productive in a whole day?
Don’t be too harsh with yourself; the reality is that most adults are feeling this way due to the toxic cultural environment we’ve grown in.
1. Stop working so hard
Here goes the first harsh truth: nobody expects you to work extremely hard and achieve on a constant basis. In fact, when success is repeated over and over, those around you who “were pushing you” simply lose interest.
Let me explain: Throughout my entire life, I’ve been pushed to win medals, awards and recognition, injuring myself and putting my mental and physical well-being at risk. Family and friends will be extremely proud in the end, but once you achieve more, they won’t care as much because succeeding is now “the new normal” and they’ll attribute it as part of your personality. You’ll be the over-achiever. They gave you the first pressure points, but your brain was all alone, stressing over and seeking external validation.
Don’t do things to impress others, to make others happy or put on your shoulders somebody else’s dreams…