Receiving recognition is, for many, a challenge.

Even more so, when they are embarked on a journey to become their better self.

It’s a journey on which people easily see flaws in themselves. These flaws being the best confirmation that there still is space to become better.

For them this attitude isn’t a problem, they see themselves as being almost there. They know that they have done a lot, but it doesn’t feel sufficient to them. Consequently, they add another step to their journey every time they can find one. And they are good at finding them.

It’s a move forward in which they hardly question what the next effort is doing for themselves. At the same time, they find it hard to see what they reached until now.

In such a setting, recognition is hard to take. It is as if it would be too much to see what is good about oneself or have it confirmed by others. Recognition almost becomes a danger. Accepting it could slow them down or even stop them, making it less probable to become a better version of themselves.

So they may even find ways to avoid receiving recognition. One of the ways I remember seeing them use is to assume that the only real recognition is one that is given freely. Thus instead of verifying how well their work has been received, or how others appreciate them, they wait and use the time to find something they can do better.

The picture painted may be a bit dark. It’s rarely as dark as that. The contrast is there to make the dynamic visible. And maybe also to check in and see if learning acceptance could be the next step.