Giving Yourself Permission | #30

Giving Yourself Permission

No. 30 — read time 2 minutes

Welcome to The Soloist, a weekly newsletter where I share timeless ideas and insights about life, business, and art.

Today at a glance

• Young Mozart And Giving Yourself Permission

• Quick Ask On The Bottom

I’ve been reading Mastery by Robert Greene and going deep down the rabbit hole of the different stories he shares.

My favorite so far is the story of Mozart. Early signs of prodigy at the age of four convinced his father that the boy would be his meal ticket. He was to be a traveling performer to high courts and royal audiences. His father was a hard man who tried as best he could to keep young Mozart from going out on his own. He preferred his son take a job as a court organist in their hometown of Salzburg.

Finally, at the age of 25, on a trip to Vienna, Mozart decided he was never coming home. He wrote a letter to his father informing him of the decision which was viewed by the elder Mozart at nothing short of betrayal.

“Feeling that he had lost so much time under his father’s thumb, Wolfgang composed at a furious pace, his most famous operas and compositions pouring out of him as if he were possessed.”

The broader point Robert makes with this story is one many knowledge workers and high performers in the modern world have felt — being attracted to a false path in life for the wrong reasons. Doing something for attention rarely leads to deep lasting fulfillment. Prioritizing career paths for money may be worse. These decisions often come from the need to please our parents.

The path out of this mess is twofold.

Admit you’re going down the wrong path. And then fight the forces that pushed you down the wrong path.

As Robert says, you must slay the father figure, the Leopold Mozart, that is blocking your path.

That father figure isn’t (necessarily) your actual parents. It could be an influencer you follow. A trend you’re caught up in. Anything that is alien to the true, independent you.

One common piece of content I see often in my corner of the internet is genuine meaning people saying something like “I’m really into X but I don’t talk about it online. Would anyone be interested if I started?”

The comments are usually a resounding “YES!” from both well-meaning supporters and potential true fans.

The person asking is seeking approval.

What they need to do is give themselves permission.

Permission to find their truth path.

Till next week,

-Tom

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