Redefining Success: Internal Metrics, Amor Fati, and Being

Key Quotes

"That's something the Stoics talk about, which is like, what good is success if the result is that you don't feel like you're in charge of your own mind or your own life? Like, how is that success? Exactly. And that's like not what this society, we as a society are taught. And actually so much of, I feel like healing is being like, what of this is like what I actually want? And what of this is just like what everybody else is doing and I'm doing it because everybody else is doing it?"

Camila Cabello argues that societal definitions of success often lead individuals away from genuine self-control and personal desire. She suggests that true healing involves questioning external influences and identifying what one truly wants, rather than blindly following the crowd.

"And ego is the enemy too, when it's like all of these questions about like, what is success to you? Like, is success being famous and having these awards? And I, I, I feel like it's especially a necessary teaching nowadays because I have like, you know, my little cousin who's like eight years old and I'm like, what do you want to be when you grow up? And she's like, I want to be TikTok famous."

Camila Cabello highlights how the concept of ego, particularly as explored in Ryan Holiday's "Ego Is the Enemy," challenges conventional notions of success. She uses the example of her young cousin aspiring to be "TikTok famous" to illustrate how pervasive external validation has become, contrasting it with more intrinsic values.

"And that's the first time I read that book. Then like two, two years later, um, I read stillness is the key. And that was actually when I was when I was that was like a year ago, actually. Um, that's when I was going through the height of my, uh, my mental health crisis. And, um, that really impacted me. And then during quarantine, I read ego is the enemy. And I started really getting into Stoicism."

Camila Cabello explains her personal journey with Stoic philosophy, detailing how Ryan Holiday's books "Stillness Is the Key" and "Ego Is the Enemy" provided significant support during challenging periods. She notes that reading these books, particularly during quarantine, deepened her engagement with Stoic principles.

"But if you change your definition of success to, how honest was I today? How vulnerable was I today? How, you know, did I, did I show up completely as myself? Was I kind to people? You know, was did I see people? Did I make this a fun experience for everybody in the room? Like if I just focus on what I can control in this moment, then at the end of every day, I was like, it was a successful day."

Camila Cabello describes her practice of redefining success based on controllable, internal metrics rather than external outcomes. She explains that by focusing on honesty, vulnerability, kindness, and self-expression in her work, she can achieve a sense of accomplishment daily, regardless of external validation.

"And my character comes before any of the things that I do. Like, you know, I was, I just like now I'm so conscious of like, me being, you know, brave and and courageous and kind. And, you know, and truthful. And my character comes before any of the things that I do."

Camila Cabello emphasizes a shift in her philosophy towards prioritizing her character and personal qualities over her professional achievements. She states that she is now consciously focused on embodying traits like bravery, kindness, and truthfulness, asserting that her being precedes her doing.