Oprah Winfrey spent 10 years working on the movie Beloved, and when it flopped at the box office, her feeling of self-worth went with it.
After this experience, she realized that all her work is simply an offering to the world. If people want it, that’s great and if they don’t, it’s just as fine1.
Is this easier said than done?
Most people would have trouble treating something as simple as an Instagram post this way, but that’s a great place to start.
Why? Because you can see how such a benign area of life can stir up the feeling of insecurity about your work.
So after Beloved, Oprah learned a good lesson. She probably dialled her projects back to be a better fit for her working style and place in the world.
She had to go through the awful experience in order to make things right again.
And she got to pass this message on to you today as well.
Here is my prescription based on what I have read of the situation:
Sit down to do the work that is calling you
Share that work without strings or conditions for its acceptance
Train yourself to become even-keeled to the response, both positive and negative
Having an equanimous approach to sharing your work is a form of unconditional love for what you are building.
And it cuts both ways - if you are only excited when people shower you with love for what you are doing, you are continuing to feed this situation.
To give an offering with no strings attached means you are entering into a new realm or spiritual plane with your Most Creative Work.
This story is from the book Build the Life You Want by Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey