STOP TRYING - Brittlestar’s Weekly Newsletter - Issue #33
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STOP TRYING
In 2009, when it was apparent that CD’s were all but dead, I released an e.p. of music on CD.
I called it ‘Stop Trying’.
Which caused great merriment from my sons who would read it as “Stop trying, Brittlestar”.
I wasn’t suggesting that I should stop trying to achieve my goals, but rather that I should stop trying and start doing. I had been stuck in an affirmation loop. I don’t know if that’s a thing but it accurately describes what I was doing.
Here’s what I was doing…
I would create something
Wait until I received affirmation from third-parties that exceeded an arbitrary threshold I had set for myself
Then I would create some more
Then I would wait for affirmation again
ad nauseam (and add nausea)
It was all nonsense, of course, and thankfully I eventually realized that.
Just the act of creating something was where my requirements should have ended. That should be good enough.
I wanted to get past this notion where I felt like I was only allowed to create something if the previous thing I had created was deemed good enough to warrant more.
I felt like I was always ‘trying’. Not quite good enough. Like I was always cap in hand.
Of course, there are real world forces to consider always. Bills, food, etc., but provided you have a handle on those… the ability to create something should be reason enough to create it.
Stop trying. Start doing.
You might be good enough already.
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Pictured: Author stop's trying to wear shoes in London, UK