Trust your self.
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Notes
“Sometimes I use the phrase ‘trust your self,’ with three words instead of two. Who is ‘your’? Who’s doing the trusting and who’s being trusted?”
We need to train the “boss” to trust our “self”:
- high expectations, but understanding of failure
- diligent, patient, insightful
- looking ahead with confidence
- “doesn’t seek external validation at every turn”
- “in it for the long haul”
- recognizes our capabilities
“You would never work for somebody who treats you the way you treat your self.”
Thoughts
I’ve always enjoyed how Seth is willing to play with the notion of selves. This story, that we are many selves at once, leads to helpful insights that aren’t quite the same when we tell a story about a split self, as I often do: “Part of me wants to x, but another part wants to y.” It’s not that either is more or less accurate than the other (though both make more sense to me than a unified self). But sometimes the multiple-self story is more useful, in that it’s cleaner, or clearer, easier to visualize.
My “boss” certainly isn’t the greatest, though “he” is probably not the worst. I’ve trained my “boss” to be less abusive with self-talk, and if “he” doesn’t necessarily recognize my self’s “capabilities,” “he” is at least curious to see what’s possible.
What’s more interesting to me, at least at this point, is simply the recognition that there is a “boss.” I would like to explore what value there might be in thinking of myself playing that role. If I were the best boss, what might I do that would support someone making art? And how might I do that for my self?
This series is meant to capture my thoughts as I work through Seth Godin’s The Practice. It’s a book with over 200 (very short) chapters, which I hope to work through and, I further hope, to implement over time.
If you’re interested in more of Godin’s ideas, or my thoughts about them, you can check out this collection of posts. Note that if you’re more interested in the former, you should probably get Godin’s book and read it yourself; my notes will be both incomplete and idiosyncratic, and my thoughts will relate to my own experience.
But if my thoughts resonate with you, or if you think I’m just silly, I welcome your comments.