Hold to this illusion

The writer must believe that what he is doing is the most important thing in the world. And he must hold to this illusion even when he knows it is not true. This could apply to a lot of vocations and missions, not just writing.

Live with lightness

Without laughter, the rough and rocky places on the path might be too painful to bear. Humor not only lightens your load, but it also broadens your perspective. To be deadly serious is to suffer tunnel vision. To be able to laugh at yourself clears the vision.

The work is the reward

Acceptance is not surrender. It is the moment you stop wasting energy on what is already true and start using that energy to decide what to do next. The work is the reward.

Preference falsification

People lie. They lie in focus groups, they lie on surveys, and they lie to themselves. Culture can be seen as an organized lying function. Be aware of what other people are thinking and make choices about your preferences so you can fit in. Without this effect, we wouldn’t have trends, fads, or hits.

Make an offer of real repair

When the damage is practical, fix it practically: replace the broken object, pay someone back, or correct the mistake. When the damage is emotional, repair may mean reassuring the person that they matter to you and explaining how you’ll act differently next time. A promise to “do better” only matters if your behavior changes. The apology is not the finish line; it’s the first step toward rebuilding trust.

We hide behind excuses

Most apologies fail because they’re built to protect the person apologizing, not to repair the harm done. We hide behind excuses, soften the impact with “if” and “but,” or rush to explain what we meant instead of acknowledging what the other person felt. A real apology does the opposite: it accepts responsibility without defensiveness, shows that you understand the other person’s experience, expresses genuine remorse, and offers a concrete way to make things right.

If you always want more

If you always want more, then you'll find the most you can have will always be too little. Large, sweeping changes often sound good in theory, but the faster you try to change your life, the more likely you are to backslide. Real change is inch by inch.