"Success is psychological." -Immortal Technique "Caught in a Hustle"
This quote made me think pretty deep today. Success is more in our heads than anything else. We set our own ideals for what it means to be successful. We have this whole system of rankings for how well we're doing in this world. We're also the only judge, it seems, and as a judge, we're meaner than Simon. We hold ourselves to such a huge standard that we hurt ourselves. We depress ourselves. I know a girl who is fighting very severe depression right now. She thinks she's fat. She thinks she's ugly. She thinks she's stupid. She thinks she's not worth the time of day for anyone.
Really, she's one of the prettiest girls I know. She's not fat, she's actually in amazing shape. She amazed me last time we worked out together. She's super smart, too. She's the reason I passed math my junior year. She has this set of beliefs about herself and about what she "should be" that keep her from showing her potential. She like all of us, holds herself back.
Remember the above quote? "Success is psychological." This is a big statement. We have the ability to change this. All we have to do is change our ideas of success. Set smaller goals for ourselves. If we fail, then set a smaller goal and keep going.
Today, I drew a heart on my wrist to spread awareness of teen suicide and depression. If you're reading this and you need help, there are a number of places that are more than willing. There's a hotline, 1-800-SUICIDE. I know that it's tough to talk to people sometimes, but the people that will answer the phone, and they will always answer, are there to help you. Also, you can try www.befrienders.org. This site has links to help sites, and all sorts of ways to get yourself help. If you aren't struggling with this, but know someone who may be, show them that you care. Say hello, ask them how they're doing, build a relationship, because sometimes, a relationship can be the thing to hold someone here and keep them alive. Be a friend.
Thanks,
Tyler
Great article man!
ReplyDeleteThanks. It's something I'm pretty serious about.
ReplyDeleteI do want to add one thing, while we may sometimes be our own worst enemies when it comes to judging ourselves, don't forget that some of these people are also dealing with the harsh judgement of others. One of the problems that some people who judge themselves too harshly may have, is how much weight they allow the judgement of others to have on them. All too often we allow the judgement of others to have more weight than our own judgement of ourselves. If we can try to truly disregard what others think, then we will better be able to judge ourselves properly.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Thanks for the addition!
ReplyDelete