Tag: Quote Inspired

Love That Rises Above Blame

Published on April 29, 2024

“Please love your community enough to repair what we broke.”
Kiese Laymon

It can be tempting to say, “Not my fault; not my problem.”

And it can be even more tempting to point fingers at who’s fault it is and talk endlessly about who caused what problems in our community.

Enter mainstream media.

But, it takes real maturity… real character… real strength… to rise above finger pointing, gossip, and blame—and actually do something about the problems at hand.

…Which isn’t to say those at fault shouldn’t be held responsible.

It’s simply to say, don’t waste your time merely talking and pointing.

If it isn’t your job to investigate fault or decide convictions… then don’t. Or at least don’t spend all of your time on it (for those who decide the ones whose job it is to do those things aren’t doing them).

As Kiese says above, choose love instead.

Love your community and the people in it so much that your convictions to change what’s broken rises above the fingers, gossip, and blame.

Love your community and the people in it so much that you volunteer some of your free time from your crazy schedule to help with its improvement.

Love your community and the people in it so much that your focus on it and them drowns out what the finger points, gossipers, and blame-gamers have to say…

…And things actually get better as a result.

P.s. 23 Quotes on Changing the World and How To Start Making a Difference

This Life Is Enough

Published on April 6, 2024

“Love and laughter and fear and pain are universal currencies. We just have to close our eyes and savour the taste of the drink in front of us and listen to the song as it plays. We are as completely and utterly alive as we are in any other life and have access to the same emotional spectrum. We only need to be one person. We only need to feel one existence. We don’t have to do everything in order to be everything, because we are already infinite. While we are alive we always contain a future of multifarious possibility.”
Matt Haig, The Midnight Library (Page 277)

How much unhappiness has been generated in our modern world by the constant comparisonism exacerbated by social media?

…Young kids (and adults) with nothing BUT potential and time and unique aptitudes beating themselves up… counting themselves out… sabotaging their futures because of what they see other people doing with their lives… thinking to themselves, “I wish I was them…” “I want THAT life…” “My life sucks compared to…”

When really, if we subtracted all the comparisons, turned off and forget about all the media posts, and grounded ourselves back into reality—our reality—the truth is as clear as the smile that fills a baby’s face… or the laugh your best friend makes… or the tears that stream down your lover’s face…

…The reality is “Love and laughter and fear and pain are universal currencies.” And this life, filled with all of that and more, is as enough as any other life we might be living. Happiness is happiness is happiness… we just have to open our senses (once again) to experience it.

Every Day Before And After Election Day

Published on February 19, 2024

Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show this past week.

And in the midst of a grim upcoming U.S. Presidential Election delivered a timely message that, at least for me, shined a light back to where the light should always be shined—especially during times when you can be made to feel small and powerless.

And it’s that very message that I felt compelled to share with you today.

“[Marketing for the U.S. Presidential Election] is going to make you feel like Tuesday, November 5, is the only day that matters. And that day does matter. But, man, November 6 ain’t nothing to sneeze at—or November 7. If your guy loses, bad things might happen. But the country is not over. And if your guy wins, the country is in no way saved. I’ve learned one thing over these last nine years. And I was glib at best and probably dismissive at worst about this. The work of making this world resemble one that you would prefer to live in is a lunch pail [bleep] job, day in and day out, where thousands of committed, anonymous, smart, and dedicated people bang on closed doors and pick up those that are fallen and grind away on issues till they get a positive result. And even then, have to stay on to make sure that result holds. So the good news is I’m not saying you don’t have to worry about who wins the election. I’m saying you have to worry about every day before it and every day after—forever.”
Jon Stewart, The Daily Show

P.s. You can watch his full 20 minute monologue here.

Questions To Snap You Back To Happiness

Published on November 6, 2023

The following was inspired by Claudia Dawson and a Duke University study on Happiness via Recommendo.

First, here’s the Duke University study findings:

(Click here if you can’t see the above infographic).

Next, here’s what Claudia Dawson so brilliantly recommended based on these findings…

“I’ve found the quickest way to dispel unhappiness is to ask myself introspective questions to find the source. Based on these 8 factors of happiness, I would ask myself:

Am I feeling suspicion and resentment?
Am I living in the past (or in the future)?
Am I wasting time and energy fighting conditions I can’t change?
Am I isolating myself or withdrawing from the world?
Am I indulging in self-pity?
Am I expecting too much of myself?

…I then continue the line of questioning to gain more self-awareness or I pivot to an easy gratitude practice, like listing 10 things that make me happy on my fingers. This usually gets me out of my head and back to the present moment, as well as in alignment with the values and experiences that make me happy.”

Finally, here’s my take:

The thing about thinking is that so much of it is done unconsciously (like 99%?). As in, we have no idea that we’re bathing in self-pity, replaying the past, cancelling plans so we can “introvert,” comparing ourselves to the greats, nurturing suspicion, etc…

Don’t take the above insights or questions lightly—this is life-changing stuff. Print / write it all down and display it in a place where you’ll see it regularly.

This way, it’ll snap you out of undesirable (unconscious) thought patterns and back to the place where happiness is much more likely to be found.

Serious About Solitude

Published on September 21, 2023

“Without solitude, no great work is possible.”
Pablo Picasso

As I sit here and reflect on some of the great works of my life—it is undeniably true that solitude was present in each of them.

For every assignment I was proud of in school—solitude was present.
For every martial arts performance I still love to rewatch on YouTube—countless hours were spent in solitude training.
For every article I share with pride—including these short, daily pieces I email out daily—solitude happened.

And my guess is, if you’re having a hard time producing work that you feel is great—you’re probably also the type who’s having a hard time finding solitude in your day.

But, let it be known, if not from me then from Picasso himself—solitude is a necessary ingredient for great work.

And if you’re serious about wanting to produce great work, then get serious about prioritizing solitude into your days.

Be it by waking up earlier, eliminating excess screen time, deleting unnecessary tasks, rearranging the tasks of your day, or buying a pair of over-the-ear headphones that you can start wearing around the chronic distractions—be like Nike and just do it.

And for every excuse that follows and prevents you from building more solitude into your days, remember, it’s you who’s arguing against the great work potential of you.

…And what a shame to be the reason for your own withheld potential.

The Tree(s) of Life

Published on September 18, 2023

“The branches of happiness can only reach as high as the roots of sadness go deep.”
Osho

Whenever I find myself feeling sadness, for whatever reason, this expression reminds me that it’s precisely the right time to focus on roots—it isn’t something to avoid or curse. That it’s, in fact, the perfect time for depth and more deeply entrenching my “roots” into the nature of my character.

And just recently, I’m recognizing that it is the same for the relationships we have with others, isn’t it?

The people you feel most deeply connected with, I’d be willing to bet, are the ones you’ve shared the most with in both directions of that relationship’s tree—branches/happiness and roots/sadness.

This is why the relationships you only share happiness with can often collapse and end. Not because it wasn’t happy enough, but, because of a lack of depth… a lack of roots… a lack of sadness or heaviness shared. No roots and all branches cause trees to timber.

….All roots and no branches don’t work much better either.

Without any way of adding warmth/humor/sunlight to the relationship, the tree dies—no matter how deep the roots go. It’s the duality of both that makes the tree’s growth work.

Wherever you find yourself in your relationships—both with yourself and others—the point is to be there; in those moments. And really feel whatever it is your feeling. Let your roots deepen. Let your branches stretch outward. Let what you feel, flow. And let yourself flow freely between all of life’s emotions.

This is how we honor and facilitate the growth of all the tree(s) of our life.

Freedom From / Freedom To

Published on December 9, 2022

“Freedom in its own right doesn’t take on meaning. It’s like ‘culture’—it’s only when it’s applied to ‘freedom from…’ or ‘freedom to…’”
Daniel Greenwald

It’s a frequently discussed topic: freedom. Many people claim it’s their ultimate goal. But, is it really? Because you could up and quit your job, walk away from all of your responsibilities, say goodbye to all of the relationships in your life, venture into the nearest forest and be completely, “free.”

But, I suspect you won’t be happy for very long.

Which is why, as Daniel outlines so brilliantly above, we have to give “freedom” specific context. Context that allows “freedom” to take on a shape and/or gives it deeper meaning that will lead us to what we’re really after… a long-term, deeply felt, constantly renewing source of joy.

And an excellent way to give freedom context is by specifying what it is *exactly* that you want freedom from and/or what it is you crave the freedom to do. I suspect, if you spend even 15 minutes filling in the blanks as honestly as you can… you might just bring to light a vision of freedom that doesn’t feel so blurry and far-fetched after all.

For example, does “financial freedom” equate to some arbitrary seven digit number that you copy and pasted into your head from somebody else’s mind? Because what you might realize is that what you really want is, “freedom from work that sucks” or “the freedom to work only 20 hours per week (so you can spend the rest of your time doing whatever you want).”

…And you don’t need seven figures to do either one of those now do you?