On the surface, it appears masochistic and idiotic.
But when we dig deeper… we might realize it’s actually to serve a need.
Brianna Wiest, author of The Mountain Is You, points out that, “Being successful can make you less liked. Finding love can make you more vulnerable. Making yourself less attractive can guard you. Playing small allows you to avoid scrutiny. Procrastinating puts you back in a place of comfort.“
We self-sabotage because we’re serving the needs of a lower version of ourself.
The practice—the inner work—is about learning how to identify and act in ways that’s aligned with the opposite—our highest version.
Rather than blindly serving the needs of our lower version self, we need to ask ourselves, “What would my highest version do?”
And rather than ignoring, suppressing, or hiding behind behaviors that self-sabotage… we need to unpack, dissect, and understand them.
And by committing to a regular practice that leads to growth, we might find that being successful can make us like ourselves more… that finding love can make us feel more fulfilled… that making ourselves more attractive can be exciting… and that by playing big, taking action, and staying outside of our comfort zone can allow us to maximize our time here on earth.
P.s. Here’s a list of my favorite quotes from The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest.