A few weeks ago, I attended an art exhibit based on the works of Vincent Van Gogh. The exhibit was fascinating. In a massive room of four blank walls, they had set up triangular columns with mirrors from floor to ceiling, benches were scattered throughout the room and dozens of projectors filled every square inch of the room with the art of Vincent Van Gogh.
The exhibit put Van Gogh’s work into motion with music. After the exhibit, my wife and I (mostly my wife) wanted to learn more about Van Gogh and his life. We learned that for his whole life his artwork was never appreciated. Today Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists in the world and his paintings have been among the most expensive paintings ever sold. Van Gogh never experienced the success of his work as he took his own life before seeing his success.
I cannot help but think that if his art had been appreciated during his lifetime, we would have many more works of Van Gogh to appreciate because he would not have taken his own life. And in this wonder, I ask myself the question – how much weight should I give to external validation of my life’s work?
Those who surround me should not define the impact I believe I can have. Validation should come from within, without comparison, and work (or how we spend our time) will be happier and more fulfilling.
Take a minute right now (even just 15 seconds) to consider how you perceive your work. Are you validated by those around you or compare yourself to others “successes” or have you found meaning in your work outside of external influences?
What is one step you can take to move towards internal vs external validation?
For me, my first step was to write out my learnings. Next, I plan to write out the anchor to my work, my why, to remind myself of the importance of my internal validation and what I want my life’s work to be.
