What does "being good" actually mean?

When was the last time you thought about it?

The third Report from the Creative Closet is out. This time, I’m looking at one of those ideas we absorb so deeply and thoroughly from such a young age that most of us never stop to question it.

But question it we should, I believe, because when we don’t, we can end up taking a behavior and turning it into an identity…and often in a way that gets things twisted around.

There’s nothing wrong with “being good,” of course—not by definition—but when “good” starts to mean being pleasant, accommodating, acceptable, reliable, helpful, or low-maintenance at the expense of everything else… odds are good that there’s a cost involved.

A cost like not disappointing anyone, not taking up space, not asking for what we need or want, not being difficult, never making a mess… never actually being (honest with) ourselves or living our own whole, fully-fledged, full-color, messy lives.

And a lot of the time, those things happen so automatically over time that we don’t. even. notice. 😱

That’s part of what this episode is about.

If you give it a listen, I’d really love to hear your thoughts, because I suspect this is one of those subjects we’ve all thought about, but rarely ever actually talk about.

Have you ever noticed yourself trying to be “good” in ways that surprised you once you became aware of them?

As always, you can watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcatcher.

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Thoughts? Questions? Leave ’em below!