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.
…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.
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 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
Confidence comes from the pain.
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.
Confidence is success remembered.
If you define success as getting a standing ovation after a TED Talk, then you’re going to have confidence issues.
If you define success as doing something that’s a little more than what you did before, then growing confidence will hardly be an issue.
With that in mind, here’s your formula: own your definition of success + make collecting “successes” a regular priority = watch your confidence grow.
Nobody sets out to lose.
Winning is—in some way/shape/or form—the goal for all of us.
Ironically enough, not winning is often the best means to winning.
It challenges us, humbles us, evokes curiosity, and introduces us to grit—if we channel it.
If we don’t, not winning can lead to discouragement, self-doubt, and result in surrender.
And what most people will say with this insight is: never surrender; persevere; don’t give up; channel losses into fuel; ignore self-doubt etc.
Worth considering, however: if you want to start winning more, maybe the trick isn’t to force yourself to ignore feelings of discouragement, self-doubt, and surrender.
Maybe the trick to winning more is to define for yourself a game where the natural byproduct of “not winning” is humility, curiosity, and grit.
Because what you need to always consider is that you may be playing the wrong game.
When you align your aptitudes, abilities, and interests with the right type of challenge/ game, the question of “how can I motivate myself to keep going” dissolves.
And the question that quickly appears in its place is “how can I stop myself from playing this game so much so that I can eat food, interact with humans, and get more sleep.”