I struggle with failure. My family is full of successful people. Accountants, teachers, programmers, business owners, the list goes on.
Lately with recent life events, I have been especially hard on myself. I have had more chapters in my life than a lot of people and each one is so drastically different than the one before.
I have never had an uneventful life. From birth, my story is unique and full of turns and mountains. Stick with me, I promise this isnt a biography or a pity party.
Context.
I have read the book The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck a couple of times now. With my recent mental health state and life challenges I decided to start reading it again. Every time I read the book more new things stand out to me. One thing that has stood with me from the first time I read it and always gives me reassurance and perspective is a story the author tells us about the famous artist Picasso.
The story goes like this.. Picasso was sitting in a cafe in Spain drinking coffee and doodling on a napkin. The same kind of doodles we have all done but its PICASSO so his doodles are obviously not your typical doodles. A lady sitting at a near by table was watching in "awe". When Picasso got up to leave he finished his coffee and wads the napkin up to throw it away. The lady stops him and asks if she can have the doodle. Picasso replies with "sure that will be 20,000 francs" In almost disgust she reminds Picasso it only took him a couple minutes to draw and its on a napkin. Picasso replies with something along the lines of "No. This drawing took me years of practice, failure, and lessons".
The intent of the story is to remind you that success does not come over night and even our smallest works of art or hurdles are valuable and testimonies to our growth.
Your little napkin doodles are valuable and you're allowed to celebrate them while still painting the big picture.