Reflecting on my time in this DAOpunks cohort, I have realised it's so important to let go of 'should' in my approach to personal growth.
The last six weeks have served as a reset for me in terms of clarity and confidence for my next chapter, and I'm noticing ideas and situations that confirm that line of thinking.
The first was a trip down to the northern corner of California to see the giant redwood trees. These old-growth forests are breathtakingly, astoundingly beautiful, and difficult to capture on a phone camera!
For people, just like the giant tree in the header image for this post, which has spread its roots over and around its fallen arboreal comrade, personal growth is a constant process. As we navigate through life’s ups and downs, we constantly learn, adapt, and evolve. The lesson for me in the Grove of Titans was that growth happens regardless of what I might perceive as obstacles — in fact those things are probably there to contribute to my development and nourish my spirit.
Similarly, a blog post I read this week convinced me that perception must not be afforded too strong a grasp on reality, because it can strangle. The blog is one of my favourites, one of the few I read without fail. It's by Oliver Burkeman, who writes about personal productivity in a way that often helps me get out of my own way. Oliver's blog is called The Imperfectionist and I highly recommend it; this week's post is titled The goose in the bottle and I'm including the opening paragraph to make you want to read the rest of the piece:
Here’s a riddle, adapted from a Zen koan: imagine you’ve come into possession of a live goose, trapped in a large glass bottle. (Don’t ask how or why.) The animal has plenty of room in the bottle, and air to breathe, but the neck of the bottle is much too narrow for the goose to pass through. Your job is to remove the goose from the bottle without harming it, and without breaking any glass.
Did you read the answer? I hope so, because it affirms that overthinking can trap us. Directing personal growth requires introspection, awareness, and deliberate actions, and I'm a big fan of those, but just as easily this line of attention can become confinement in a web of 'should'. I want to remain open to the possibilities life brings, and not censor myself for the sake of perceived boundaries — whether they be societal norms, ingrained personal fears, or imagined unfavourable outcomes.
That's what being a DAOpunk means for me, and every time I read the DAOpunks Manifesto I'm proud to be part of this community of free thinkers.
Thank you for your company on this Cohort 4 journey, and see you on the trail.
