Social comparison, fear of failure, and perfectionism are…freezing you in place with thoughts of what others will think of you…the fruits of success addiction…[which] leads to withdrawal.
Arthur C. Brooks
Are you unhappy despite success?
Arthur C. Brooks wrote his book, From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life*, for middle-aged “strivers.” Yet, it is deeply relevant for smart and caring women of all ages, too.
One key difference, I think is that women don’t often believe they are successful and therefore strive even harder and can become even more dissatisfied, or unhappy despite success.
I admit I struggle with all three of these–especially perfectionism.
In talking to so many women, I have learned that one way to fight social comparison is to build deeper connections with other people instead of
Here is another quote I appreciate:
The lesson is that if you want to make a deep human connection with someone, your strengths and worldly successes won’t cut it. You need your weaknesses for that… “Elite” means not many have thta distinction, and that distinction is hard to attain. Elite credentials don’t make you relatable. They are a barrier to human connection.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t hesitate to contact me.
Knitting notes
I have been trying to make a herringbone cowl. Despite checking my gauge and following directions, I messed up so many times, I lost count. Let’s see if this time, I can make it big enough to fit around an adult’s neck!
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