"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly" or Stories we Tell Ourselves

    During my enlistment in the United States Marine Corps I was once recruited to do some painting. Stationed at  Camp Pendleton, CA., I worked in the office of a rifle company.  The sergeant in charge of the office rented a different apartment in town and wanted it painted before he moved in.  Three or four of us were recruited to do the painting.
    Busily painting away in my corner of the room, doing the best I could, it apparently wasn't good enough. Sarge watched me paint for a few minutes and then said "Al, why don't you go buy the beer?"  Neither of us had been taught that "anything worth doing is worth badly", or, at least if Sarge knew it he didn't want the "doing badly" on his wall.
   I've parlayed that experience into a lifetime of never having to paint, by telling myself the story that I can't paint.  Had I been in the  mindset that skills come slowly, perhaps I'd have learned to paint. Of course, I do admit, it has also been convenient.
    Do you ever listen to the stories you tell yourself about yourself?   Driving near my home I recently took a wrong turn.  Several possible stories about the wrong turn presented themselves to me; how stupid, or, what's the matter with me, or, my memory is failing, or, I'm an idiot.  What do your inner voices say to you about you?   I'm guessing that for many people that voice is often an inner critic.  If that's true, perhaps we should ask "Where did we learn to be so critical?"  Why the judgment?   Missed a corner? Yup...I'm absent minded, always have been because there is always a lot going on in my mind

 What's your story?

Perhaps I was better at carrying rifle than painting.