Is that enough Dad?

I have now read this story several times from a third or fourth source, just now again on Facebook, I can’t say whether it is true at all. But that’s not so important in this case.
The story

Seymour Hersh was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1970 for his reporting on the My Lai massacre. He took to the stage to accept his award and everyone eagerly awaited his speech.

But instead he stepped up to the microphone and just said, “Is that enough Dad?”

He didn’t say any more, he then left the stage. And he has continued his success story to this day. Incessantly, almost doggedly. He is still celebrated and hated in equal measure and makes no attempt to retire. And he may never do so until his last breath.
Why am I telling you this?

And that’s exactly why I’m writing about it. Because what he does is not uncommon, especially in circles of very successful people. Nobody thinks this is a problem. Successful people often carry on until their last breath. This is admired, all the prestige, the power, not least the money …

One of my favorite examples is the world-famous Augsburg merchant Jakob Fugger, who is said to have given final business instructions to his employees on his deathbed in 1525. At the time, he was the richest person in the western world, the first millionaire north of the Alps. On its own initiative.
Two sides of the same coin

But that is only one side of the coin. The other one is not so shiny. Being driven, the stress, the illness, the depression, the medication, the alcohol, the drugs, the loss of family … the list goes on and on.

Of course, this is not noticeable, it can be concealed, hidden. There are an alarmingly large number of discreet clinics; health can be bought, at least the appearance of health. And nobody can tell if you’re happy anyway. Maybe you are, but … yes, there’s always a “but”… Something is missing.

What is going on there? Why are there these two sides? How can something be missing? And what is it anyway?

Seymour Hersh explained it in three words, whether his audience wanted to believe it or not.

These three questioning words “Is that enough Dad?” show what his ambition, or at least part of it, is based on. Namely, to finally be seen. From his own father. One of the two most important people in a child’s life. To finally satisfy the father. Be right at last.

To be seen at last! Which is actually the basic right of every child. To be seen as it is, in all its parts. To be accepted in all its BEING. Just the way it is. Without condition. The ideal case, I know.

If this is missing, it can lead to the striving to be seen and recognized becoming a basic pattern under every action in life. And this often results in something great. A great success, a large company, great power or even a great fortune.

It becomes difficult when the time comes when you actually have to cut back. Having to take care of his life. The fruits would have to be harvested. Having to look after your own children. Buying a sailing boat and sailing it around the world yourself.

And then you don’t catch the exit because it keeps driving you. Without interruption. Because the recognition from the father still hasn’t come. Because she can no longer come, because you are no longer a child and your father may no longer be alive. The train has left the station, it’s not coming back.

And at some point you realize that you have missed the last stop and there is only the wall in front of you that you will inevitably crash into …

What do you do then?

The first and probably most difficult step is to become aware of it.

Of course, your success is primarily based on your knowledge, skills and determination. Not everyone who was not seen as a child becomes successful later on. Probably very few. There is a lot to it. But maybe there is this part of you that is driven. Driven by the desire to finally be seen.

Except that it can never happen, because it should have happened when you were a child. Not now, when you’ve long since grown up.

Most people who were not seen as children, who were not recognized in their being, do not become successful later on. They go with the flow or even sink. Some of them pretty pathetic.

You have managed, consciously or unconsciously, to take advantage of this lack and make a success of it. That is an enormous achievement in itself.

But now you’re on this train that left a long time ago, you missed the last stop and you’re racing towards this wall.

So what to do?

You can’t turn back time, but there are ways to make up for what you missed back then. You don’t get it from anyone. Neither from your parents, if they are still alive, nor from any other person.

The chance you have is to go back to the time when your train started to depart. To the time when you should have been seen, when you should have been accepted. The issue must be resolved there.

You can’t get there on a material level, but it is possible on a spiritual level. If you are accompanied by someone who knows the way. This is a process that takes time, but one that ensures that the train that seems to be speeding towards the wall slows down again and you realize that you can control it.

You go from being a helpless passenger to the train driver of your life. Without being driven by old patterns. Without this unconscious longing for something that you can’t seem to get.

The big advantage of this is that you get rid of the unconscious pattern that has always driven you in a certain direction, even against your will. Once that’s gone, you decide where to go, how and how fast. You can find more information here … >>