After reading a blog post from Jasmine Star I realised that she has hit the nail on the head. She writes about reading ‘The Golden Cage’ by Gordon MacDonald, in which he writes how driven people are prone to being trapped in a golden cage. He described driven people and listed a few of their faults. I squirmed in my chair as I continued reading. I squirm when I’m uncomfortable. My eyes were glued to the screen as I read more.
MacDonald writes:
“Why is it that for so many the answer to personal tension and pressure lies not in going to the bridge of life but rather in attempting to run faster, protest more vigorously, accumulate more, collect more data, and gain more expertise? We give attention to every cubic inch of life than our inner worlds—the only place we can gain the strength to brave any outer turbulence.”
I squirmed. I’m a driven person, so reading an analysis pertaining to me was uncomfortable. Throughout the last 6 months I have been searching for answers and thinking long and hard about what would make me ‘happy’. As I imagine most people do, I expect to live a long life, but why spend so many years doing something that doesn’t make me happy. I decided I’m going to do everything I can to make my life move in the direction I want it to.
Jasmine finishes up by writing ‘My life, I realize, needs to separate my stress from worry. Drivers and strivers can worry, but when they stress, they become trapped to defining their lives as series of successes. In essence, they become trapped in a golden cage’. This is exactly how I have been feeling and striving for success and achievement has left me stressed and anxious. I refuse to be trapped by the stress I often feel in regard to my life.
I won’t be caged.
MacDonald writes:
“Why is it that for so many the answer to personal tension and pressure lies not in going to the bridge of life but rather in attempting to run faster, protest more vigorously, accumulate more, collect more data, and gain more expertise? We give attention to every cubic inch of life than our inner worlds—the only place we can gain the strength to brave any outer turbulence.”
I squirmed. I’m a driven person, so reading an analysis pertaining to me was uncomfortable. Throughout the last 6 months I have been searching for answers and thinking long and hard about what would make me ‘happy’. As I imagine most people do, I expect to live a long life, but why spend so many years doing something that doesn’t make me happy. I decided I’m going to do everything I can to make my life move in the direction I want it to.
Jasmine finishes up by writing ‘My life, I realize, needs to separate my stress from worry. Drivers and strivers can worry, but when they stress, they become trapped to defining their lives as series of successes. In essence, they become trapped in a golden cage’. This is exactly how I have been feeling and striving for success and achievement has left me stressed and anxious. I refuse to be trapped by the stress I often feel in regard to my life.
I won’t be caged.
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