Self-sabotage comes up a lot in the world of self-improvement. It’s hard to improve when the person holding us back is us. But underneath the concept lies a pretty huge question:
Do we really want the thing we’re so desperately chasing?
Our minds are pretty complicated things. One part of us can chase the dream with grit and determination, while another part hides in the background and says no, that’s a terrible idea. Then it stealthily sabotages us and we kick ourselves for messing up, not realizing that it was our own decision to mess up all along, even if a subconscious one.
So the answer can be both yes and no. Our conscious minds say yes, but our unconscious mind, which is in charge of keeping us safe and alive, says no. Our problem-solving, thinking mind may have access to the accelerator, but our safety-driven unconscious has access to the brakes.
100 Words Everyday 