The Hidden Cost of Trying to Be Enough — Beneath The Surface
May 30, 2025
Explore the cost of tying self-worth to achievement and approval. Discover how true freedom lies in being, not just doing. Learn to embrace authenticity and the joy of the present moment. Distinguish between conditional and unconditional love, and understand the power of self-trust. Delve into the importance of genuine connections and the joy of living without the need for external validation. This discussion invites you to reflect on your identity and unlock the possibilities that come when you fully embrace who you are.
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insights INSIGHT
Fear Drives Striving and Exhaustion
Striving is driven by the fear "As I am right now, I am not enough."
This fear fuels the exhaustion and tension of always needing to prove worth.
insights INSIGHT
Being Is The True Starting Point
Being is the natural state beneath the pressure to perform.
True peace starts from being, not doing or achieving.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Dropping Adult Identity Through Play
Sean shares playing ninja with his kids as a moment of dropping adult identity.
Entering the moment freed him from expectations and brought playful presence.
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Robert Greenleaf's "Servant Leadership" introduces a leadership philosophy that prioritizes serving others over self-interest. The book emphasizes empathy, listening, and building community as essential leadership qualities. Greenleaf argues that true leaders are those who empower and uplift others, fostering growth and collaboration. The concept of servant leadership has had a significant impact on various fields, promoting ethical and people-centered approaches to leadership. The book's enduring relevance lies in its emphasis on human connection and the importance of serving a greater purpose.
Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Faust, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is a two-part dramatic work that tells the story of a scholar named Faust who, dissatisfied with his life and seeking infinite knowledge and power, makes a pact with Mephistopheles, the Devil's representative. Part I focuses on Faust's despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his tragic love affair with Gretchen, which ends in her downfall. Part II is more allegorical and symbolic, following Faust through various experiences, including his life at court and his encounter with Helen of Troy, before his eventual salvation through God's grace and the intercession of Gretchen. The work is renowned for its blend of lyric, epic, dramatic, operatic, and balletic elements, and its exploration of theological, mythological, philosophical, and cultural themes[1][4][5].
What if the version of you the world rewards isn’t the version that makes you feel alive?
We’ve been taught that we have to earn love. Earn rest. Earn our right to belong.
But what if the model is backwards? What if Being is the starting point — not the reward at the end of striving?
In this episode, I unpack the hidden cost of tying your worth to outcomes, approval, and perfection… and explore what becomes possible when we finally come home to ourselves.
This is not a self-help checklist. It’s an invitation to slow down, to examine the identity you’ve built, and to consider who you might be without the need to earn your value.
We’ll explore:
Why your peace can’t depend on performance
Why freedom doesn’t live in conditional mindsets
How self-trust changes everything
The real difference between love and approval
What opens up when you’re rooted in presence and open to possibility
Connect with Sean:
👉 Explore Sean’s writing, books, and executive coaching at whatgotyouthere.com 📩 Drop a message, share your thoughts, or connect directly Info@whatgotyouthere.com 📤 Love the episode? Send it to a friend who needs it or share it on social
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