When I pay attention, the implied center of cognition and emotion fades away, and it is obvious that consciousness is never truly confined by what it knows
That which is aware of sadness is not sad
That which is aware of fear is not fearful
The moment I am lost in thought however, I’m as confused as anyone else
Consciousness is the prerequisite for experience
To have, you have to do. To do, you have to be.
“I’ll figure it out” is a powerful phrase
“You’re only as young as your spine is mobile”
Anandimide is the endorphin that leads to feelings of euphoria after ingestion of spicy food
Belief affects breathing
Your behavior is contagious
…did you at least try, John?
Play is defined by having no other purpose
Marriage seen as the beginning and not the end of a relationship is an interesting perspective
A choice always involves a loss (an alternative that was not taken)
Accept, ignore or change are the only 3 choices we ever have
It’s never too late as long as you have breath in your body
We become successful by saying yes to everything and we stay successful by beginning to say no to things
Hope is not a strategy
A man seems to be as old as his arteries and as young as his thoughts
Getting uncomfortable and putting relentless energy into pursuing your goals, whether or not you achieve them, is a win in and of itself
Part of the journey is the end
Clutter comes with a cost
I think the advent of the internet, and all of the companies that came with it, made/make so many things in modern life “easier”
Younger generations, more comfortable with the concept of a “digital self,” more readily turn to openly asking for help online. There’s perhaps less shame involved in doing so online than in going to people in person and asking for help
Communities around the world and across time have subsisted through mutual support, especially more collectivist (vs individualist) communities, specifically referring to populations in much of Asia, the Middle East and South America
For younger generations, the internet provides that sense of community. It seems we’re more connected and less connected at the same time
“Nothing is really work unless you would rather do something else” – Sir James Barrie
John, ask yourself these questions to get a gauge of how you’re doing:
When did you stop singing?
When did you stop enjoying stories?
When did you stop dancing?
When did you lose your sense of the magic, the mystery and the awe of life itself?
When did you stop enjoying being alone with yourself?
It’s easy to lie with statistics
It’s hard to tell the truth without statistics
Quality is not really an act, it’s a habit
Thinking and saying, “I got a good night’s rest” helps your brain to perform better even if you actually didn’t
Do things that enhance your luck surface area
Feedback can be a gift
“Don matter where you come from all that matters is where you’re goin'”
You are good enough
Time and mobility as much as stability and money
Don’t plan too much – start moving towards the goal then correct any errors that might occur
Giving thanks before eating
Shout praise in public and whisper criticism in private
When there is no enemy within, there are far fewer without
In the end, success could be as simple as a good night’s rest
It seems the more options we have, the less satisfied we are
John, do you want to be right or do you want to be at peace?
With a strong enough why you can survive any how
Technology is the new psychedelic
We are impermanent
Some suffer too little, others too much
Perfection might just be an excuse for inaction
We are riskier to try to avoid losses than we are to try to solidify gains
“The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours.” — Amos Tversky
“The chances that you will wake up are in direct proportion to the amount of truth you can take without running away.” – Anthony De Mello
Emotions, like the weather, come and go
Try to embrace not knowing, John
Mind and body are one
I am quite sure that there exists not a single person that has all of life figured out – Anon
“Being an astronaut is more mundane than you think”
“We are running a linear production system on a planet with finite resources”
Some of our very first desires as babies are erotic ones -> the first time we want something that we can’t have
The only innate fears are loud noises and falling (apparently)
Meaningful Creative Important Impactful Different
Think of the 10,000 year perspective
When it’s your own money, you spend it differently
That voice you says you can’t do it – make it sound untrustworthy
Write resume in 10 years. What will you want to have done, looking back on life?
Enjoy the climb
Perfectionism doesn’t leave room for growth
If you find a path with no obstacles it probably doesn’t lead anywhere
Your brain is optimizing for your survival, not for your happiness
Never underestimate how wrong you can be
The internet has also open sourced insecurity, self-doubt and shame
Love is inherently courageous, as it requires giving someone the power to decide that we are not good enough, all the while implying that they are to us
You cannot always control the outcome but you can control the prep
Sometimes a relationship with a sibling is the longest we’ll ever have…aside from perhaps our relationship with ourselves
Say no to the trivial many in order to be able to say yes to the critical few
You don’t need to make the money back the same way you lost it
Perhaps the beginning can always be today
It feels easier to believe the criticism and yet see the praise as undeserved
That which provides light must endure burning
You can quit too much but you can also grit too much
Trust is a chain that gets longer the less you pull on it
Try to strengthen connective tissue
Dolce Far Niente
Disappointment requires adequate planning
To study the self is to forget the self
“You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you”
The flexibility to change one’s mind is a great advantage
Just stare at yourself in the mirror
No confusion could mean no learning and/or no progress
Doubt makes space for questions
Don’t confuse movement with progress John
There exists a reality where the baseline is peace
Start where you are cuz it’s never too late
But for many of us, the main reason is that our brain rationalizes staying busy. We are filled with uncertainty all day long, and that drives us to try to do more, to get control of everything, to cram more into our lives, to stay addicted to technology and distraction.
To do this, we have to stop letting the uncertainty rule our lives. It can be with us, a constant companion, and we can learn to be comfortable with it and even love it as it is. But it doesn’t have to drive us.
–Leo Babauta, zenhabits.com
I am, by no means, a self-made man. None of us are, really. We all stand on the shoulders of generations past. It is their accomplishments, sacrifice, and legacy that have laid the foundation for our lives today.
I am grateful today for the men who made me. It is my hope that my life will be as honorable as theirs.
–becomingminimalist.com