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Category: Transforming Pain

Gustave Flaubert Quote On Being “Regular and Orderly” To Produce Your Best Work…

Published on January 8, 2025

“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”

Gustave Flaubert

Whenever I travel or experience any “violent” changes in routine… my creative work suffers.

…Simply because the time blocked for creative work shrinks in proportion to the amount of time exploring, problem solving, or engaging in unique experiences—expands.

And the days when creative work is the hardest is when I’m doing it at the end of my day, right before bed, when I’m exhausted, and as a last minute obligation because it’s a commitment I want to honor.

…But you know what?

I have yet to regret a post I’ve published.

Even one of the posts I’ve written at 3am after a long night out.

…And you know what’s more?

I have yet to regret an adventure I’ve taken.

If anything, it’s the adventures that have lead to some of my best creative work.

…But you know what most people miss?

It’s the time blocked after the adventures, where I’m able to unpack it all and do some creative work, where the vibrance and meaning of the adventures come to full fruition.

See, it isn’t the “regular and orderly life” that exclusively leads to the “violent and original work” just like it isn’t an adventurous and spontaneous life that would only lead to “regular” work.

It’s the harmony of both elements that we need in our lives: the adventure and the ordinary; the violent and the regular; the spontaneous and the routine.

This is where (and how) our best work lives.

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week, here.

When Death Pulls Up A Chair

Published on January 6, 2025

“There’s something sobering about moments when mortality decides to pull up a chair and join you for a chat. It doesn’t matter who you are, how much kale you’ve eaten, or whether you can still squeeze into your high school jeans on your 60th birthday. (Spoiler Alert: I cannot). Mortality reminds us that we’re all just passing through, and none of us gets to skip the check-out line. Death doesn’t discriminate. But here’s the twist: Mortality isn’t here to ruin the party. It’s here to remind us to live.” ~ Craig Misewicz

When mortality pulls up a chair… join in for the chat.

In our society, there’s too much walking away, hiding from, and shoving our heads in the sand.

Death gets hidden in hospital rooms and long-term care facilities. It gets sanitized by medical professionals and dressed up by funeral homes. It gets outsourced to a few so that the rest can live without being reminded…

But, being reminded is precisely the point.

Death doesn’t discriminate and none of us get to skip the check-out line.

And if we pretend like it does and we might… we’re in for an abrupt awakening.

Because at some point, we won’t be able to walk away, hide from, or shove our head in the sand any longer. We’re going to be forced to have that chat. And when we do… when we finally wake up… there might not be much time left.

See having that chat doesn’t take away from life—it adds to it.

…It reminds us of our priorities and of what really matters. It gives us the push we might need to do those things. It reminds us… to live.

Taking Rebirths Seriously

Published on December 26, 2024

I found myself doing a deathbed meditation today.

Imagining what my regrets would be if I knew my life was coming to an end tonight…

And let me tell you… it brought up some pretty powerful visions and wishes.

I encourage you to spend some time doing the same. Take it seriously. See what comes up.

The upcoming new year is like a rebirth… as was the last new year… and the one before that.

Heck, each day is a rebirth or sorts, isn’t it?

Why spend time imagining something as morbid as laying on your deathbed for an extended period of time, you ask?

…Because the deeper you feel what it’s like to actually be on that deathbed, the more likely you’ll be to actually take these upcoming rebirths seriously.

P.s. Some fun updates on MoveMe Quotes as of today: (1) You can now click to get random quotes, picture quotes, and articles—perfect for spontaneous visits (in the header menu). (2) You can search within categories now (finally!)(e.g. Instead of searching “love quotes” and pulling up everything we’ve ever tagged with it, you can now search “love quotes” within the Picture Quotes category…!)(Can be found in the directory). (3) You can change the language of the entire website with a single click. Language options can be found in the header menu. Hope these updates help! Enjoy!

Craving, Attachment, and Desire

Published on December 16, 2024

Edgar Allen Poe once said, “All suffering originates from craving, from attachment, from desire.”

I want you to take a minute to reflect on the suffering you’re experiencing in your life right now.

…Can you trace the root of the suffering back to one of these causes?

If so, I want you to next identify whether the suffering is a superficial creation done by social media, mass marketing, and/or living in a materialistic culture… or if it’s created from something deeper.

Some suffering is meant to be felt. Heartbreak; loss; wrongdoing… this is the kind of suffering that makes you truly appreciate… that wakes you up to your purpose… that turns your attention inward and forces inner growth.

…And some suffering is completely unnecessary and doesn’t need to be felt at all.

What’s Your Frustration Tolerance?

Published on December 15, 2024

In basketball, I usually match up against the same few players each week.

And it gets frustrating because as I get better… so do they.

It wasn’t until I played today against someone who rarely plays that I realized how much better I’ve gotten.

This isn’t to pat myself on the back.

It’s a reminder that while frustration can be an overwhelming emotion that often leads to quitting… it’s also an incredibly important signal that’s telling you you’re in that uncomfortable zone that often leads to growth.

Those who can tolerate frustration the longest are almost always the ones who advance the furthest.

P.s. ICYMI you can read the best of what I posted to MoveMe Quotes last week here.

On Opening Doors You Can’t Even See

Published on November 14, 2024

A creator I follow sent a newsletter the other day that opened with, “How are you doing? What are you building? Hit reply and let me know. I’ll get back to you within few days.”

It was such a refreshing use of a space that’s usually devoted to ads, hyperbole, and clickbait.

So, I leaned in and opened a dialogue.

I told him about this blog, MoveMe Quotes, how I was doing, of course, and praised him on creating content that I’ve been consuming for years now.

I don’t usually compose or send these kinds of emails and what I noticed in myself was a sense of pride that swelled up as I briefly outlined the 14+ years I’ve been actively building MMQ and the (almost) 4 years I’ve been writing daily blogs.

I remember thinking to myself right after I hit reply that he could literally click to any post or page on either site—from any year—and I’d be happy with what he found.

…It felt like one of those moments where I was able to point him to the “pudding” and in it, he’d find the proof. No long-winded intros, pitches, or talking-some-kind-of-talk required.

And then just today, as I was curating quotes for MMQ, I stumbled on this nugget: “Your hard work is opening doors you can’t even see right now.”

…And I suddenly understood what that meant in a way I never had before.

P.s. The creator I’m referring to above is Janis Ozolins. He does an incredible job of explaining ideas visually and always keeps it uplifting, educational, and concise. Check him out here.

Life’s Temporary Reminders

Published on November 13, 2024

A buddy of mine messed his ankle up today while sparring.

Shortly after that, I found out my grandmother fell on the weekend and got a pelvic fracture with some displacement.

And before both of these events, one of my employees told me she was going to have to take her great aunt off life support today.

Reminders like this—which is exactly how I try to receive them—should be given space where their true weight can be felt.

…Because what they could serve so powerfully as are reminders of our impermanence… of life’s temporary nature… of our vulnerability.

…Of precisely what makes this life so very precious in the first place.

When you come across an injury in your life—remember to give thanks to what’s uninjured.

When you come across a serious injury—remember to give not just that person a more serious space where they can feel the full weight of your support… but to give the same to yourself… maybe not to feel support, but to feel gratitude for what’s seriously still going right.

When you come across death—don’t hide from it. Don’t just leave others to deal with it. Don’t suppress your feelings about it. Let it give rise to that potent feeling of delicacy… that terrifying feeling of the ticking clock… the thoughts of consciousness fading to black.

And let it serve as just as potent of a reminder… to live.