Tag: Quote Inspired

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?

Freedom via Money

Published on October 30, 2022

“Money isn’t the goal—freedom is.”

Careful.

Because if money is the means to an end… and you’re miserable along the way (trying to make a bunch of money so you can buy freedom)… you’ll end up confined within a prison of your own making—unfree—without realizing it until you blink and years of your life are gone…

…And you’re left with bags of money (best case scenario) that can’t buy back any of the freedom that came with the youth that’s been spent.

If freedom is the goal, make freedom the means.

Better to creatively find ways you can work less (so you can enjoy more free time) or more freely—doing what you love, with people you love, on a mission you love working on—so that freedom is your reality with each step along the way.

P.s. In case you missed it, you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

The Space Between A Line And 66 Hours

Published on October 18, 2022

Seth Godin pointed out that even the longest biography is only 66 hours on audio… which means the author has to leave out almost everything.

What’s more, is that when it comes time for people to reflect on you and your life, they will likely summarize who you were and what you stood for in a line or two.

That’s right… decades and decades of life… in a mere line of words.

…Nobody is reading a 66 hour biography at a remembrance of your life.

This space, between a line and 66 hours of audio, is the space you have to fill with legacy.

Those who plug their ears and “la-la-la” this thought are usually the ones who end up with regrets and a “mismatched” legacy.

Those who do the hard work of picking out their “line or two” now and use it as a guidepost for the rest of their life… are usually the ones who live lives that stand out—the kind that are deliberate, aligned, and inspiring.

Ask yourself: What do you hope people would say about you? What do you hope they would write? What do you want to be remembered for in one breath of words?

Now is the time to figure it out—while you’re alive and still have a say. Pick your legacy, embody it, and let your actions paint the picture of your legacy that’ll inspire thousands of words to follow. Live your masterpiece life.

P.s. Want to read more on legacy? Read my personal collection of 100+ quotes and resources on legacy here.

Befriending The Ego

Published on July 23, 2022

“The body is the first student of the soul.”
Henry David Thoreau, via MoveMe Quotes

…And the ego is what intercepts the soul’s communication to the body.

If we don’t learn how to befriend the ego—it will always be our enemy.

What makes the ego our enemy is its relentless desire to choose immediate over delayed gratification. The ego wants comfort now. It wants pleasure now. It cares nothing of later.

And it is in this one main desire—to seek immediate pleasure and avoid immediate pain—that our body suffers. Because what’s generally good for us is what involves delayed over immediate gratification.

If we want our body to succeed—the soul’s first student—we need not underestimate the ego and its deceptive, cunning powers. We need to come prepared. Like a parent ready to confront a moody toddler that’s about to choose violence.

We need to keep our beliefs clear; our boundaries enforced; our strategies at the forefront of our mind; our patience overflowing; and our love (not our tolerance) unconditional.

We have to find easy (easier) ways to do the hard things now, so that we can achieve the later outcome of peak overall health that each of our souls want us so badly to achieve.

For more thoughts on the ego, you can browse my collection of 45+ quotes & resources here.

Don’t Look Back?

Published on July 15, 2022

“Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.”

I disagree.

Looking back is precisely what you need to do if you’re going to keep moving forward in your life.

I’m not saying to dwell. Nor am I saying you should only look back. But, another way to say “looking back” is to reflect.

And careful reflection is key to calibrating your internal compass. You know… the internal compass that tells you which direction is forward in the first place!

What many people don’t realize is that without a properly calibrated internal compass, forward is merely a guess. And guessing isn’t a good strategy for moving forward in life.

I say, look back; reflect carefully; learn from past experiences; become a strategic, forward-moving boss who utilizes insight from their past to expedite their journey forward.

And don’t ever let yourself assume that you know all there is to know about your past.

As you age, grow, mature—the lens through which you look at past experiences will change. And how you understand those experiences will need updating and revising accordingly.

This is why we should keep looking back—all throughout life.

Change the mantra from: “Don’t look back—you’re not going that way.”

To: “Look back occasionally; calibrate; ensure you’re going the right way.”

Read my full rant on this here: Everyone Who Says You Should Never Look Back Is Wrong