It might feel like wind

It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you’re not going to change the direction of the wind. That doesn’t mean you can’t get good at sailing, though. And yes, if we do try, we can change the conditions in our household, community, or workplace. It might feel like wind, but it’s caused by us and can be influenced by us. Not easily, and not right away, but knowing it’s possible is the first step.

When those groups are anonymous

When we come together in groups, it can bring out the best in people. When those groups are anonymous, porous, and transient, though, the opposite can happen. And mobs never helped anyone, ever.

Doing the tasks is more efficient than coordinating the help

If you have a series of tasks, it’s easier to ignore this question and simply get back to work. Doing the tasks is more efficient than coordinating the help. But if your work is a project, a bigger mission that involves making a change happen, it’s much more productive to accept help. When we have a project, part of the work is to enlist others in figuring out how to make the change we seek.

There’s much to be said for showing up

The trail's end is usually difficult, but without the long and winding approach, there isn’t much of a mountain. The greatest hits reel and the stunning photographs leave out most of the hard work. There’s much to be said for showing up, one foot in front of the other. In fact, those are the only people who make it to the steep part in the first place.

We can always take small steps

We can always take small steps towards our fears, with our fears, in the arms of our fears. When we begin to move and look directly and lucidly at the thing we fear. We realise it was our greatest ally.

You're a wild adventure person

The more doors we close, the more restricted we make ourselves - both physically and psychologically. The things we fear are almost always indicators: They show us how to spark aliveness in us. Scared to travel? You must go, even if it starts with a walk to the local river. Age is no reason to close doors.

Doubts will inevitably arise

Doubts will inevitably arise. But we have the power to turn away from those thoughts when they appear. View them as suggestions from your mind. Some thoughts are helpful, and others are not. If it's not, just say 'nope' and engage in something present, purposeful and creative. This is a habit.

Tell people what they need to hear

Being genuine and kind is a far cry from being ‘nice,’ especially when we can all see your manipulations in plain view. Know in your gut why you do what you do and you may find that you’re being nice to gain approval, not because you actually give a shit. Be real. Tell people what they need to hear. This is how to regain the confidence you’ve been looking for all along.

Wake up the world

Develop the fun, darker side of your nature. In an overly timid and extra super nice (dead inside) world, doing so sets you apart, and lights a fire in many of those around you who aspire to be like this deep down. Bring cheerful, light-hearted energy to the bored zombies who need electricity. Wake up the world.

You are not here to argue

What someone says is on them. They have their own subjective opinions. Whether they are ‘right’ or wrong needn’t bother you. You are not here to argue. You are simply witnessing the verbalized thoughts of other humans. Allow those thoughts to affect you, and you are not free.

The world can be a complicated environment

The world can be a complicated environment, and complexity requires increased brain processing. This inevitably uses up significant energy resources. So, when we actively cut the unnecessary, reduce our options, and keep our lives and routines simple, we have less to focus on. We can put more energy toward fewer things, which improves our performance in all areas, and we simply.

Speak slower

There is a place for faster-talking if the person you are with has a higher rate of speaking. Do this to align your tempo and maintain rapport. But usually, speaking fast reflects imbalance. You're rushing your words out of insecurity or an unwillingness to be in the spotlight. Respected speakers take their time.

Conflict of interest

Conflict of interest is real. If there is no conflict, there is no interest.

Everyone is selfish

Everyone is selfish. We do things that increase our chances of survival, help us achieve our goals, and give us a story we can tell ourselves about our role in the community.

None of the above

“None of the above” is often the best option. We’re regularly confronted with multiple-choice questions. The foundation is already established, and the options are already limited, do you want this or that? But the real questions lie in the assumptions that happened before you were even asked.

You don't have to drink the rain

When you drink water from a cup, it becomes part of you. When water falls on you like rain, it evaporates a few minutes later. You'll always feel the rain, but you don't have to drink the rain. You can let the thought pass and in a few moments, the sun will return. You don't have to claim everything you feel.

You pile up enough tomorrows

You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with a lot of empty yesterdays. Stop waiting to live the life you want. Start acting to build it.

The truth shrinks as the crowd grows

The truth shrinks as the crowd grows. In a large meeting at work, people hold back their honest opinions. The resulting conversation offends the fewest people but often differs from the truth. Smaller groups are more likely to find truth than larger ones.

Silence can leave a scar

The truth may sting, but silence can leave a scar. We see the barriers holding back the people we work with, just as they see ours. But telling them is hard. Telling the truth might hurt them, but not telling harms them.

Solitude is a condition of peace

Solitude is a condition of peace that stands in direct opposition to loneliness. Loneliness is like sitting in an empty room and being aware of the space around you. It is a condition of separateness. Solitude is becoming one with the space around you. It is a condition of union.

Keeping buildings from burning down

Running into a burning building is heroic work. Keeping buildings from burning down in the first place is actually just as important. And it scales more reliably.

Action is a choice

There will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it.

Life is not a direct march from A to B

Finding your way in life is like unlocking the combination of a safe. You have to go forward and backward. Life is not a direct march from A to B. The twists and turns are progress, not regression. What feels like a setback in the moment is later revealed to have been part of the path all along. Each move was necessary to get to your end goal.

Communication is about what is received

Communication is about what is received, not what is intended. If there is a gap between what you are saying and what they are hearing, you have to find a new way to say it.

Silence vs noise

When a group comes together, noise is easy. Just a few people have to make a commotion for noise to happen. But silence requires everyone to be in sync.

Change is always risky

When someone worries about a change and identifies a “risky scheme,” red flags start flying. “Risky” means it might not work. Change is always risky, because innovation doesn’t come with a guarantee. An organization or culture that fears the risk may decide to wait a few cycles, to see what happens if they don’t switch. “We can always do it later.”

Like rivers, people change

Like rivers, people change. When the label stops being useful, we should change it. The problem with holding a grudge is that it makes your hands too full to do anything useful.

Comfort with awkwardness

Life is awkward, particularly when interacting with other humans. Humans are clumsy and hilarious in their awkwardness. Wishing for awkward-free situations is like wishing for the moon to fall out of the sky into the sea. Learn to embrace tension, awkwardness, and discomfort, and you will have an advantage that towers over the common man.

It's not enough to simply apply effort

It's not enough to simply apply effort; you must work on the right thing. One hour solving the right problem beats ten hours on the wrong one. Spend time thinking about what to focus on.

A risk with watching your competition

A risk with watching your competition too closely is that you get drawn into playing their game and lose focus on your own.

There is no beginning, middle, and end to your change

There is no beginning, middle, and end to your change. There is no before or after, no v1 or v2, no old or new. Infinite versions of who you are, who you will become, and who you could have been. The roads not taken and the roads traveled. There is no original version. You simply exist. You never become, you are in a constant state of becoming.