I sometimes disappoint myself. I guess we all do sometimes, but I don’t know what it’s like to be inside your secret thoughts. I can’t see the dark lust you might have hidden in your heart.
But I know the dark longings that come from my ego — and I often have to remind myself who I am. And what my values are.
I crave attention. I lust for success. I want money and adulation from others. Despite the insecure parts of me which question my value, my ego secretly whispers that I deserve all these things. Deep down, I believe I’m great.
In such moments of weakness, I have to remind myself what matters.
Let me tell you about an artist who I admire greatly. There’s an excellent chance you’ve never heard of Steve Taylor. He was a brilliant rock musician in the 1980s and early ’90s whose music was aimed at the Christian market. He rocked hard. His lyrics were razor-sharp and witty. He mocked sacred cows inside the church and in modern culture, too.
Only a small group of weirdos in the church understood what he was doing. Most people were scandalized by him or simply didn’t understand what it was all about. I loved his work.

Your ignored mistakes quickly become impossible to change
Self-compassion is difficult when harsh inner judge condemns you
Memo to Republicans: Your serious contenders are hypocrites, too
Assassin or patsy? How can you trust any of the players in this case?
My teen hijinks were silly fun, not alcohol-fueled drunken groping
Living without human connection? It’s an empty life with no meaning
Loss of everything you value can be a new beginning, not the end
If you allow anything to be priority over love and beauty, you’re a fool