Philosophy Stole My Ambition

I’m not a narcissist, nor am I a sociopath.

As such, I have insecurities.

Most of these insecurities stem from childhood.

And like most ‘bad’ things, in small doses, they can be good for us.

Insecurities can fuel our fire. They can drive us to seek out external validation and as a result, achieve more and become more than we would have without them.

There’s little doubt that many great innovations of the last few centuries were a result of innovators looking to prove themselves.

On the flipside, peaking early can be inherently bad for us, and keep us from self-actualization. (Read: When You Peak Early, You Lose)

In my case, insecurity, societal influences, a desire to keep up with the Joneses (whoever they are), and a belief that more money and status would make me happy pushed me forward.

It drove me to secure my Master’s degree in a year while working 25 hours a week. It enabled me to hustle my way into gigs at global powerhouses like EY, KPMG, and Macquarie Bank, despite having gone to public schools in Melbourne’s working-class western suburbs and having attended run of the mill colleges.

After several years in the corporate space, my hunger hadn’t faded, and I pursued entrepreneurship…