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Category: Defining Success

Nobody Clapping

Published on December 30, 2022

Nobody clapping for you is an excellent time to quietly get back to doing purposeful work.

Standing ovations are obviously the goal. But, never forget that with them comes a wave of distraction/ obligation/ requests that can easily prevent you from being able to do the purposeful work that got you on that stage in the first place.

And doing more purposeful work is always the ultimate win—even more so than the standing ovation(s).

P.s. I also published: 52 of the Most Impactful Lessons I Learned in 2022. I hope you’re making time to do some quality reflecting too—before we cross the threshold into 2023.

Measures Of Success:

Published on December 28, 2022

The first five were from Stephen Parato:

  1. Number of “Aha” moments
  2. Number of heartfelt “I love yous”
  3. Number of heartfelt “Thank yous”
  4. Number of full immersions in flow state
  5. Number of times being completely awe-struck by the beauty of existence

Which inspired these five from me:

  1. Number of moments spent belly laughing
  2. Number of moments spent looking at a fire
  3. Number of moments spent deep in conversation
  4. Number of times you published/ shared/ shipped your art
  5. Number of moments spent completely present with loved ones

I’d love to keep the list going… either journal or reply… what are some “real” measures of success to you?

Upward

Published on December 15, 2022

Sometimes I set such a high bar for myself that I can’t even see the damn thing when I look up towards the sky.

At the same time… I like the idea of building my way up from the grips of the earth towards a bar that dances with the clouds.

Prove Yourself

Published on November 4, 2022
  • Some people prove themselves in school.
  • Some people prove themselves in conflict.
  • Some people prove themselves in business.

…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.

On Pie

Published on August 23, 2022

The thing about overnight success, early virality, and winning lotteries…

Is that it gives you some pie…

But, no recipe.

The goal isn’t to just have pie…

The goal is to become a damn good chef.

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

Obsessed [Poem]

Published on July 7, 2022 
Obsessed with it all
That’s why I won’t settle

Not until every nook
And every cranny
Of every day

Is composed of moments
I can’t wait to recall

Follow The Pain

Published on June 14, 2022

Confidence comes from the pain.

  • The pain of trial
  • The pain of error
  • The pain of persistence

Until eventually, the pain results in a success.

This success shouldn’t mark an end (to pain), but rather a new beginning.

For hiding from pain is the path towards atrophy—the antithesis of success.

Confronting the pain is the path towards hypertrophy—the best friend of success.

And as it is with exercise, working your muscles to hypertrophy once (one success) will have little long-term benefit.

It’s the repeated exposure to the pain (of exercise) that leads to the noteworthy gains in muscular size and ability.

And if you want to increase the “size” and “ability” of your life, you have to treat your confidence “muscles” the same.

…And follow the pain.