If arguments are to be won

I once believed, as most do, that if arguments are to be won, the opponent must be pummeled into submission and silenced. You can imagine how that idea played out at home. If I won an argument under such a definition, I began to lose the relationship.

Responsibility and blame

It’s tempting to hand it to other people. If someone else takes the blame and accepts the responsibility, we get satisfaction and we’re off the hook. It’s far more predictable and reliable to simply take it ourselves. At least that way, we can do something with it. This simple shift gives us power and authority over our narrative. It helps us avoid wasting time on wishes and ever more ornate arguments about our version of things.

We must first accept

Life will never be completely harmonious. When one thing straightens out, another bends and frays. So at least we can all agree that we’ll never reach a place where things are ideal. Accepting this is the first part of the equation. If we want to enjoy our lives, regardless of what it looks like, this is what we’ll have to do. We must first accept.

The fighter is to always be single-minded

The fighter is to always be single-minded with one object in view—to fight, looking neither backward nor sideways. He must get rid of obstructions to his forward movement, emotionally, physically, or intellectually.

You live in one house for the rest of your life

You live in one house for the rest of your life & it's called your body. Maintain it (sleep & movement). Give it renovations (healthy eating & exercise). Treat your body like it's the only one you're ever going to get because it is.

You'll never be as young as you are right now

A good mantra to tell yourself is that you'll never be as young as you are right now. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone do the thing you're meant to do.

Surface friends & funeral friends

In life, you have surface friends & funeral friends. Surface friends are there for a good time & are transactional. Funeral friends are people who would travel anywhere in the world to pay respects at your funeral. They're your real friends. Cherish them.