Do You Ever Treat Yourself Harshly In Service Of A Large Goal?
Among the most resonant pieces of advice that I ever received from one of my mentors was never to treat my body as if it were a horse that I was whipping to go longer and faster (not that I would ever literally do that). Her point was that we have often pushed our bodies to the point of excess and exhaustion in service of our jobs or other achievements?
I wonder if treating ourselves harshly comes from living within a general cultural context of command and control. Have you ever had the experience of feeling as though you were being so demanding of yourself that you were actually being abusive?
Command and control often feels dictatorial and capricious. Are there any areas in your life where you feel as though you are dictating and controlling in excess? An easy way for me to examine that question is to think how well I take care of myself. How about you? Are you pushing yourself too hard in the interests of a highly ambitious and difficult goal?
Generally, nurturing and consensus are antithetical to command and control. If you had to choose, what would you say your more pronounced style of leading your life is? Is it something you’d like to change?