the ripped shoes mentality / aditya

there's a certain feeling you get when you walk into a room underrated, undervalued, and unknown.

it's not resentment. it's not insecurity. it's something closer to... freedom? when no one expects anything from you, you can only surprise them. all upside, no downside.

in my thoughts, i've been calling this the ripped shoes mentality.

ripped shoes don't care about looking good. they're not precious. you move differently when there's nothing to protect.

new shoes make you careful. you watch where you step. you avoid the mud. but ripped shoes? you run through whatever's in front of you. nothing left to ruin.

i think this applies beyond shoes. it's a way of moving through the world. the scrappy founder who couldn't do it the "right" way so they invented their own. the artist who had no credentials so they just made things until people couldn't ignore them. the person who walks into the room with nothing to prove, which somehow becomes the thing that makes them different.

i keep thinking about what happens when you finally "arrive" though. when you attain wealth, gain respect, build knowledge. when you buy new pairs of shoes.

does the edge go away? do you start protecting instead of building? i've felt that pull. the comfort creeping in. you stop moving like you have nothing to lose because now you do.

can you keep the ripped shoes mentality even after you've leveled up though? or is it only authentic when the pressure is real? what about the revolving 5 people around you? do you just fake this potentially changing mindset forever?

i don't know. maybe it's just about remembering what it felt like. staying a little uncomfortable on purpose. not letting success make you precious, staying humbled and grounded. remembering your roots.

personally, even though i have new, shiny, and nice shoes, i still love my ripped shoes. i cherish them and try my best to prolong their life.

still thinking on [and experiencing] it.