When Good Enough Steals Your Life

How Robert Glazer taught me why quiet desperation is more dangerous than failure

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

There is a moment that sneaks up on many of us. It does not arrive with fireworks or catastrophe. It comes on an ordinary morning when you slip into your routine and a quiet voice inside asks, Is this really it?

Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.” Those words have always stayed with me because I see them everywhere, in friends, colleagues, and even in myself at times.

In my recent conversation with Robert Glazer, we explored what happens when life looks fine on the outside but feels hollow on the inside. We talked about why good enough is often the most dangerous trap of all and how core values provide the compass we need to break free.

Thoreau’s phrase is haunting because it describes a life that is tolerable but misaligned. Failure at least forces us to act. Quiet desperation convinces us to stay stuck. Robert and I both agreed that this is where so many dreams go to die.

So how do you know when you are living in quiet desperation, and more importantly, how do you begin to move out of it?

What paid subscribers will get

Paid subscribers will get access to the full ad-free conversation with Robert Glazer, a companion guide, a reflection guide, and a digital workbook. You will also receive exclusive behind-the-scenes content from Passion Struck and valuable material from The Ignited Life to help you put these lessons into practice.