The default is distraction

If you do not actively choose a better way, then society, culture, and the general inertia of life will push you into a worse way. The default is distraction, not improvement.

Being proactive, yet positive

There is too much bad news to justify complacency. There is too much good news to justify despair.

You will never be younger

When you think you are too old to do something new remember you will never be younger than you are right now.

The human mind is fabulous at learning

A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt.

Choose your battle

If you dig a hole and it's in the wrong place, digging it deeper isn't going to help.

Self-talk strategies

If you need confidence, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. If you need persistence, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a student. If you need patience, talk to yourself the way you would talk to a child.

Choose forgiveness

Anger is like an oven; heat without light. Forgiveness is like the moon; light without heat.

Create a little thing that improves other people’s lives

Many of us fuss and fight, worrying about ourselves and our place in the world. We’re completely oblivious to the fact others exist and need our help. There’s much you can do today - from sharing an encouraging post to taking a small walk with your dear ones - that takes the burning light off you and out towards creating good in the world. Even making the decision to help will shift your aura.

Your real identity is something far more special

Your real identity is something far more special than we can even conceive. It appears when we let go. It appears when we stop thinking about how there’s something wrong with us. It appears when we stop trying so hard. It seems when we’re enjoying ourselves, in the throes of action. To avoid decades more unnecessary self-doubt, you must have this idea in your mind.

New things are always coming up

New things are always coming up. Once you find something you want to do for a long time, you need the courage and discipline to say no to shiny, new opportunities. After years of exploring and experimenting, it can be hard to flip the switch and remain focused.

What’s lasting knowledge?

It’s wisdom that endures: Timeless principles, foundational ideas, and insights that remain relevant for years, not hours. Before diving into the news or scrolling through feeds, ask: “Will this still matter next year?” If not, it’s probably mental junk food. The sugar high will leave you craving even more. Avoid mental junk food. Feed your mind substance. Your future self will thank you.

Confused about good

How often do we assume that popular things are good and that good things become popular? If your work doesn’t catch on, does that mean it wasn’t good? In almost every field, people with insight, taste, and experience admire and emulate good things that aren’t popular and are surprised by popular things that aren’t good.

Moving toward ease

“Ease” isn’t the same as “easy.” In fact, they’re often at odds. Easy work is hardly worth our effort. It can deaden us instead of allowing us to bring our best selves to life. Ease, on the other hand, is the feeling of doing something worthwhile, and doing it.

Decisions don’t seem effortful

The most important work we do is making decisions. Decisions don’t seem effortful (turn left or right, say yes or no), but the apparent risk and emotional labor are real. Hard decisions are hard because of the story we tell ourselves about repercussions and responsibility.

Keep things light

Fascinating people are no strangers to wit and a cheeky bit of humor. Pulling off a joke without making someone want to run out of the room in a rage takes skill. Be funny, but don’t base your personality on it.

The inevitable meeting

When the person you could have been meets the person you are becoming, is it going to be a cause for celebration or heartbreak? This is something we must work on right now, and tomorrow, and every single day until the meeting happens.

The opposite of sensitive is insensitive

The opposite of being sensitive is not brave. It’s not brave to refuse to pay attention, to refuse to notice, to refuse to feel and know and imagine. The opposite of sensitive is insensitive, and that’s no badge of honor.

Get better at what are you doing

All this hand wringing worry and concern over how are people viewing me — someone said something bad about me, and you get so upset about it — is wasted time and energy. Your only focus should be on getting better at what you're doing. Focus on what you are doing. Get better at what are you doing. Everything else is a waste of time.

Your comfort zone is where you start

Your comfort zone is where you start. Your curiosity zone is where you’d go, if only you had the courage or energy. It might be great or terrible, but you’d be satisfied just knowing what happens. Your hard pass zone is what you are genuinely not interested in. These will be different for everyone, and that’s fine!

We can pretend

We can pretend that the world isn’t changing, that nothing is different and angrily push back on any evidence to the contrary. We can see the change as a personal affront and insist that it’s not real or doesn’t matter.

It always finds a way

While some understate their power, others overstate it. We can attempt to institute draconian measures, shortcut existing systems, and demand that things go the way we want them to. You can hold back the ocean for a little while, but it always finds a way. It’s hard to make the tide against the law.

Shift your focus

Sometimes, we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life and forget to take care of ourselves. This is your reminder to take a short breather by taking a walk in nature, reading, or anything that refreshes your spirit. Shift your focus from what’s wrong to what’s right. Acknowledge the small things you’re grateful for to boost your positivity.

Define your goal

Define your goal: fitness, saving money, or personal growth. Knowing where you're headed will guide your actions and keep you motivated. Reclaim your time by focusing on what matters. Start small, as even a few minutes saved a day can compound if used effectively.

Fixing little dents is a commitment to quality

Deciding to fix a big dent in a car isn’t perplexing. It’s an easy choice. There’s a huge dent, get it fixed. It’s the little dents that are a dilemma. But not fixing little dents means that pretty soon, we’re driving a car that we’re not happy with. Either that, or we define happiness as, “okay with little dents.” Fixing little dents is a commitment to quality, a constant quest against entropy as we seek to deliver with consistency. And living with dents is a way to focus on what matters, not what can be fixed.

You will soon be dead

I’m no nihilist. I’m not even a cynic. I am actually rather romantic and here’s my idea of romance: you will soon be dead. Life will sometimes seem long and tough and it’s tiring. And you will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad and then you’ll be old and then you’ll be dead. There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence: fill it. Not fillet. Fill it.

Be hard on your beliefs

We must think critically and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out onto the verandah and hit them with a cricket bat. Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, and your privileges.

Happiness is like an orgasm

Don’t seek happiness. Happiness is like an orgasm. If you think about it too much it goes away. Keep busy and aim to make someone else happy; you might get some as a side effect. We didn’t evolve to be constantly content.

Even if you're not a teacher

Even if you're not a teacher, be a teacher. Share your ideas. Don't take for granted your education. Rejoice in what you learn and spray it. People pay to see others believe in themselves.

Quit what no longer serves you

The human body replaces all of its cells every 7-10 years. Every day, your body replaces billions of its own cells—a constant cycle of shedding the old to become the new. It's time for you to do the same: Quit what no longer serves you. To become the new, you have to unbecome the old.

Either holding you back or pushing you forward

A person is either holding you back or pushing you forward. There is no in-between. When we allow negative people to drain our energy, we have less of it to offer the positive people that lift us higher. You need to ask yourself: Who are you saying no to by saying yes to this negative person?

Potential is something with execution

The worst prison in the world is having the talent and intelligence to achieve something great but lacking the courage to go out and do it. When you're young, everyone cares about your potential. You get accustomed to focusing on it, to celebrating it. You gather more and more information to build it, but along the way, lose sight of one important fact: Potential is something with execution.