Rising Above Your Former Self

As I’m learning to navigate the world with a new theme — “Rise” — this is turning out to be the hardest part. Not that rising above external bullshit, adversity, and distractions is easy. A few weeks into the new year, that, too, had already demanded plenty of discipline and focus. But the hardest obstacles to sniff out are those right in front of my nose. The ones I assume to be part of my identity or even outright advantages.

One realization in that department was that if I’m trying to write a book, perhaps that’s not the best time to work on the daily blogs that have been sitting in my drafts folder for months. Usually, those end up there because they take far more time than a short, unpolished insight. Sometimes, they turn into proper essays. And when you’re trying to push your creative boundaries with an uncertain payoff while still running a business, most likely, all of your creative energy deserves to go into that one big project.

It hurts to not write everything I want to write. Yet I can never work on all of my ideas at the same time anyway. Strategic shelving and later revisiting of projects is the mature thing to do — and even if it means letting go of a version of myself I like and respect, if that’s what it takes to soar, then letting go is what I will do.

Rise above roadblocks, petty insults, and nonsensical diversions, sure. But most of all, rise above your former self. You’re a phoenix meant to fly in the sun, and nothing and no one should stop you from gliding in its glory — not even yourself.

Grab a copy of Nik’s book, 2-Minute Pep Talks.

2-Minute Pep Talks is a collection of 67 jolts of inspiration for more hope, comfort, and love in any situation. With more than two months of daily inspiration across five categories, 2-Minute Pep Talks will make you feel more comfortable in your own skin, remind you to love yourself enough to ask life for what you truly want, and provide you with the world’s scarcest resource: hope. Whether you’re looking for a pick-me-up, new perspectives, or more fuel to accomplish your dreams — if you’re ready to regain that light, passionate, optimistic feeling we all used to possess as children, this book is for you.

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This post was previously published on Niklas Göke’s blog

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You may also like these posts on The Good Men Project:

White Fragility: Talking to White People About Racism

Escape the “Act Like a Man” Box

The Lack of Gentle Platonic Touch in Men’s Lives is a Killer

What We Talk About When We Talk About Men

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