Is it possible to be creative while holding a grudge or two? Of course.
Want your creativity to increase exponentially? Let those grudges go.
The most creative people — the people who have a new idea a minute — have cultivated the habit of seeing the world as it could be and, more importantly, the habit of seeing people as they could be. They believe in untapped potential, both for themselves and others, and believe that people have the capacity to change.
Holding a grudge keeps you from all this.
Grudges block gratitude because they are poison, never allowing a perspective of thankfulness to take root.
The act of holding a grudge requires taking the posture of moral superiority, never allowing you to truly collaborate — even with people you're not upset with.
People who hold grudges settle for dissolving relationships rather than doing the harder — but more rewarding — work of communication and conflict resolution.
Without the open-mindedness required to notice the silver lining in any situation, and without a community encouraging healthy habits, your creativity will always be stifled. You can still have enough creativity to get by, sure, but you will never have the degree of creativity that empowers you to get ahead and stay there.
Set healthy boundaries, but don't confuse a grudge with a boundary. Grudges may punish the other person to some degree, but they always — without fail — end up hurting you more.
Originally published June 2015
