18 You Don’t Have to Be the Best at Everything
by Morra Aarons-Mele
A few years ago, I was in a therapy session, talking about how anxious I felt about bombing an important presentation at work. My therapist turned to me and said, “Why do you have to be so special at everything? Whoever told you that?” I looked at her and said, “I’ve always been special, since I was three years old.” To which my therapist replied, “Well, who says?”
It’s a question I’ve pondered many times since, and one I ask myself when my inner critic takes charge. I’m an anxious achiever, ambitious and career focused. My anxiety prompts me to overperform. I can never rest until I’ve reached the next goal and done it to perfection. Thoughts of failure have driven me ...
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