UPBUILDING THE SELF

THE TRAP OF DEFINING MY

VALUE BY WHAT I PRODUCE

How do you define your self-worth? Why is it so naturally tied to what you produce? Using Sacinandana Swami’s provocative quote as a starting point, Vipin, Michael, and Rasanath share personal examples of how they fall into the trap of defining their value by what they produce. They discuss the true reason behind our longing for a sense of value, the trap/problem of defining our value by what we produce, the impact of doing that, and healthier alternatives to defining our value.

Podcast Hosts: Vipin, Michael and Rasanath

Highlights

  • [3:50] Past experiences of finding value through what we produce

  • [10:15] What is the “trap” here?

  • [12:35] The illusion of satisfaction we feel when we get the things we want

  • [15:40] Feeling a sense of relief, and not joy, when others validate us

  • [16:40] Finding personal value in a healthy way

  • [19:20] How our values relate to our personal value

  • [22:16] Pathological productivity

  • [24:00] Detaching ourselves from judging our worth by how the things we produce are received

  • [30:40] Serving a mission greater than ourselves

  • [38:30] Choosing love over productivity

Quotes

  • “I sometimes get into this trap that I define my value by what I produce and how my product is validated by others.” -Sacinandana Swami

  • “We all want to be valued because value is a way in which we experience love.” -Rasanath Das

  • “What I experience on a day-to-day basis around my sense of self-worth is the feeling of filling a pot that will never be full.” -Rasanath Das

  • “Value is a substitute for deeper meaning that we are looking for in the role that we play in this world.” -Rasanath Das

  • “We are so obsessed with being efficient and producing more [...] because we feel like we need to fill the hole of self-worth [...] and as a result we don’t live [...] aligned with our values.” -Michael Sloyer

  • “When we are in search of self-worth we usually end up going about it wrong, but when we are in search of [...] serving [...] and the byproduct is that we get self-worth, that feels like we are on the right track.” -Michael Sloyer

  • “If you’re really embedded in a greater mission, greater context, you become not so vulnerable to this trap [of defining my value by what I produce].” -Vipin

For first timers, welcome to Upbuilding the Self

About the podcast: Two former monks, a former startup founder and CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.