"Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom." If Kierkegaard's famous quote is true, the only cure is to imitate the dancer—to set your eyes on a single point and lunge towards it. You don't find steadiness by standing still; action is the only thing that grounds you enough to really flourish.
"Careers are built much more by tolerating the discomfort of partial answers and leaning pigheadedly into the faith that things will work out than by thinking harder or reflecting deeper."
Reminded me of this:
"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
wow: “Careers are built much more by tolerating the discomfort of partial answers and leaning pigheadedly into the faith that things will work out than by thinking harder or reflecting deeper.”
Interestingly, I never really connected my liking for too many things as anxiety. But looking for the right answer without actually really trying kept me in a doom loop for the longest time.
“She died trying to do it all” is not a eulogy I’m upset with
I have a feeling that I’m going to come back to this essay multiple times throughout this year
Same. I definitely needed that reminder and I'll be coming back to it.
beyond wonderful, stunningly delicious, totally did not cause imposter syndrome for my own writing in the slightest
"Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom." If Kierkegaard's famous quote is true, the only cure is to imitate the dancer—to set your eyes on a single point and lunge towards it. You don't find steadiness by standing still; action is the only thing that grounds you enough to really flourish.
More: https://www.whitenoise.email/p/less-is-more
a very welcome reminder!
Just do something.
"Careers are built much more by tolerating the discomfort of partial answers and leaning pigheadedly into the faith that things will work out than by thinking harder or reflecting deeper."
Reminded me of this:
"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”
(Rainer Maria Rilke)
thank you for calling me out, needed that.
I've realize I have been sitting around hoping in things that I have control over. Enough!
I read this at the right time. Thank you <3
wow: “Careers are built much more by tolerating the discomfort of partial answers and leaning pigheadedly into the faith that things will work out than by thinking harder or reflecting deeper.”
This was incredible. I think I’ll read this once a week for the next year. ❤️
Also just bought your book. Can’t wait.
Interestingly, I never really connected my liking for too many things as anxiety. But looking for the right answer without actually really trying kept me in a doom loop for the longest time.
obsessed with this and you -- anxiety is a fog that thickens the more you look at it!! Brilliant!
Beautifully articulated. Thank you for sharing!
So gorgeous and necessary