storytelling in which eventually your talent becomes your identity and your accomplishments become your worth. But a story like this is never honest or helpful. In my retelling to you just now, I left a lot out. Conveniently omitted were the stresses and temptations; the stomach-turning drops and the mistakes-all the mistakes-were left on the cutting-room floor in favor of the highlight reel. They are the times I would rather not discuss: A public evisceration by someone I looked up to, which so crushed me at the time that I was later taken to the emergency room. The day I lost my nerve
In stories of personal achievement, there’s a tendency to portray talent as integral to identity and success as the measure of self-worth. However, this perspective is often misleading and unhelpful. It ignores the deeper realities of struggle and failure, focusing instead on only the triumphs. This selective storytelling can create an unrealistic narrative that frames one's worth strictly in terms of accomplishments.
The author Ryan Holiday highlights how this narrative conveniently overlooks moments of difficulty and pain, such as public humiliation or personal failures. He underscores that these experiences, often painful and filled with doubt, are essential to understanding the true journey of growth. By omitting these challenges, we fail to tell an honest story, missing the valuable lessons that arise from setbacks and mistakes.
