3 Ways Self-Sabotage Is Holding You Back
This article was first written for the Talkspace Blog.
“Are you afraid of success?” My therapist asked me, intently.
I let out a put-out sigh, and my defense immediately went up. “How dare she ask me that?” I thought.
I sat back in my chair, quickly allowing a movie reel of life events that could potentially cause her to ask me such a thing. I quickly realized her pointed question was entirely valid.
I was straddling a thin line between breaking through in my career and remaining stagnant. I had an inbox overflowing with opportunities to guest speak, press and media interviews, and a book pre-order list a mile high — all of which I had yet to reply to.
I sat back, reflected quickly, then replied with a snarky rebuttal:
“I’m a self-saboteur, you know.”
Is it just me, or has society glamorized self-sabotage? Social media posts and memes mock our seemingly inherent need to destroy the good things in life. Pop songs romanticize being afraid to be happy. And how many romantic comedies depict a female co-star who is unsatisfied with her life, spurns happiness, and sabotages her potential love interests?
It’s everywhere, and somewhere along the line it was determined that self-sabotage is not only typical but humorous. When we actually experience it, however, it can leave us feeling victimized and helpless.
