“Slowly, but surely” is a wildly underrated strategy.
Did you read that third word? Like, really read it?
“…Surely”
It’s the “surely” that makes this strategy a game-changer.
“Surely” is the kind of bet I like to make in my life.
Just as the universe expands forever outwards…
So, too, does our inner universe expand forever inwards.
There is no limit to the depth we can reach through introspection.
And, just as the universe only seems to get more interesting the more we learn…
So, too, does our inner universe only get more captivating the more we choose to return.
P.s. Looking for a good read? Check out my library of books that I’ve uploaded quotes from. You might even find your next favorite read…? :)
I’m on a mission to help busy people do inner work.
You know… the kind of work that most busy people skip and ignore because they prioritize outer work instead.
But, the reality is: outer work doesn’t lead to a more fulfilled life—inner work does.
Outer work might lead to money, power, fame… but, inner work is how the feelings we’re actually after are tapped into and cultivated.
Ask yourself: What feeling am I really after in wanting more money (as an example)?
…Is it security? Freedom? Recognition?
…And how can I nurture those feelings in life in spite of copious amounts of money?
There are a million different ways to answer this question and it’s not one I can answer for you. But, here are some thoughts to get you started:
Your turn…
P.s. Today I hosted a LIVE talk on Happiness and How It’s A Daily Choice with my friend Tyler Todt—it was one hour of pure gold. Tyler is the real deal and every moment of this chat was packed with insight. Enjoy.
Not every awake moment is created equal.
The trick, is aligning the ideal tasks with the matching naturally occurring state. Some examples:
If I tried to do my social interaction in the morning and my workouts at night—there would be an extra layer of resistance in both.
Flipping them works significantly better for me—which means not only am I in a better state for both, but I’m much more likely to continue doing them because the resistance is significantly less.
The opposite might be true for you. Self-awareness is required and that’s not something I can give you.
The bottom line is this: don’t fight yourself. Align with your natural rhythms and reduce resistance in every way you can.
P.s. I asked: What’s one small thing you’ve done that has had a big impact on your mental health? I received a ton of great answers. I hope they inspire you to start doing something small for yourself.
One thing I’m currently working on: not being so quick to label people as “toxic.”
With few exceptions, all of us are a great mix of many things—and labeling someone solely as “toxic” is not only unfair and narrow-minded, but uncompassionate.
We all make mistakes and I genuinely believe we’re all doing the best we can with what we’ve been given. By looking at people less as “poison” and more as “misguided,” maybe we can respond more mindfully to their presence and certain behaviors.
That said, if “poison” is precisely what a person feels like to you in your life, establishing a strong boundary should be done swiftly and without hesitation.
But, considering a person “poison” after a mistake or two… maybe isn’t the type of response that’ll lead to the healing we’re trying to facilitate in our lives.
P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.
There’s a game I play in martial arts classes called the A/B Game.
It’s simple.
When I say “A,” students fire off a given technique as fast as they can.
When I say “B,” they stay frozen.
My goal is to mess them up by getting them to fire off the technique on “B.”
Their goal is to have such great focus that they don’t even so much as flinch on “B.”
In the early stages of the game, getting flinchers is relatively easy—some because they’re just unfocused; some because they’re too focused on being fast; and some because they need to mess up before they actually understand the game.
As the game progresses, there’s usually a handful who are hard to mess up—so, I’ll pull out one of my tricks from my bag.
Right before I call “A” or “B,” I’ll nonchalantly say… “Okay, now I want you to beat the person next to you. Don’t let them beat you…okay? Ready…”
And then quickly yell “B!” …And get a huge chunk of students to flinch. It works almost every time.
…Why?
Because instead of focusing on themselves, I got them to focus on the others. Instead of focusing on doing their best, they were distracted on being THE best and lost connection with their focused mind.
See… When we focus on beating everybody else; on racing the person next to us; on trying to be the best—we lose sight of the most important thing… focus on ourself.
P.s. I also published 46 Impactful Bruce Lee Quotes from Striking Thoughts today.
…And some people realize that they have nothing to prove to anyone except themselves.
….And so they build. Not to have something bigger than anybody else—but, to have something built that serves a purpose; that fulfills a vision; that realizes a dream.
A purpose, vision, and/or dream that comes from within, that’s built with the tools within, that helps nourish feelings that can only ever be influenced from within.
Because those who try to get feelings from letter grades, fist fights, or number games end up taking a long detour that winds up, down, and over an incredible terrain—only to leave them back where they started… looking at the only person who had the ability to give them the feelings they so desperately sought out the whole time…
…The same one who was there with them right from the beginning.
…Themself.