The mindset of the individualist is holding you back.
“Happiness only real when shared”… Those are some of the last words of Christopher McCandless. He died of starvation in the Alaskan wilderness at the age of 24.
I share work from artists that I follow and brands that I work with on a regular basis. One of my favorite things to do is to connect people that could benefit one another. I started talking to the butcher at our local market and I got his number and connected him with a chef that I had worked with years ago. These are the things that bring me the most joy in life. Other than the happiness of my family.
For a long time I denied this feeling of joy. I know in some way I thought that it was selfish. If I dig into this a little bit further and I start to get to the core of this it is something else. It is insecurity and a fragile ego. For a long time I was terrified of other people and their success. I thought that it was taking away from me and my ability to succeed.
There is a Buddhist parable about a candle that lights a thousand candles from it’s own flame does not suffer any loss. I have known this and have said it several times in coffee shops to appear well read and open minded. However it was not until recently that I really started to grasp this concept.
As artists, freelancers, business owners, stay at home parents… We all need help from someone else. Not a single one of us is in this alone. The concept of being “self made” is a falsity, an illusion, or at the very least an exaggeration.
Success comes from accepting this, leaning into it, and asking yourself how can you help the tribe that you are a part of. If you are in a toxic tribe and want to “level up” to another tribe, you must bring something to the table.
“We have all been warmed by fires we did not build.” -The Torah/Old Testament
