والحياة حتى تمضي بسرورٍ وهناء؛ تحتاج أن تتحَلّى فيها بالكثير من المرونة، وباليُسر والانبساط واللِين، لا أن تأخذها بالشِدّة والحِدّة، ولا أن تُعقّدها أكثر مما تحتمل، فالنفوس السَمحة الرَحبة تُحلّق في آفاقها بسعادة، وتكسب الكثير، وتصل إلى غاياتها برِضا وسلام.
optimism isn't delusional positivity. it isn't the denial of reality. it isn't the absence of problems or doubt. optimism is the belief that the future can be better, and we have control over whether it will be.
I recently found this note to myself:
No sense in thinking small. Don't water down your vision. A remarkable amount can be accomplished if you are willing to think longer term than most and work hard each day.
People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.
If you are not interested and curious, all the information in the world can be at your fingertips, but it will be relatively useless. If you are not motivated and driven, whatever connections or opportunities are available to you will be rendered inert.
Now, you won't feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that's fine. But it really pays to find something that lights you up. This is one of the primary quests of life: to find the thing that ignites your curiosity and drive.
There are many recipes for success. There is no single way to win. But nearly all recipes include two ingredients: curiosity and drive.
You can take things seriously without taking them personally.
Our tendency is to turn any criticism or complaint into a personal attack. We reply to it, defend against it, build a counter-argument, lose sleep over it.
You don't have to eat everything that is served to you. You can respond to criticism without digesting criticism. Take what's useful, do your best to improve, and leave the rest.
In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering.
In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? Scale it down. Don't have much energy? Do the easy version. Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day.
Adaptability is the way of consistency.
i have a theory that everyone is supposed to "change the world", it's just a question of how much. that doesn't mean you have to cure cancer, solve nuclear fusion, eliminate poverty etc, but just leave the world slightly better than you found it, in whatever way only you can
Being yourself is a continuous effort.
There is always another expectation placed upon you, another person pulling you toward their preferences, another nudge from society to act a certain way.
It's a daily battle to be yourself, not merely what the world wants you to be.
المروءة عندما تكون مُتجذّرة في أعماق شخصيّة الإنسان يجدها تحثّهُ -رغمًا عنه- إلى كل فِعل جميل، وكل أمر نبيل، تدفعهُ نحو المكارِم والطيّبات، ويجد نفسه تأنف طواعيّة من الأمور الرديئة والدنيئة، فما ارتقى الإنسان بشيء مثل المروءة. هنيئًا لمن حازها وربّى نفسهُ عليها.
What I wish I knew at age 25.
At 25, you think time is unlimited. You believe you can start later, correct mistakes later, build wealth later, and take life seriously later. But what many people only realize in their 30s is that time moves much faster than you imagine.
I wish I knew that the habits you build in your twenties quietly become the structure of your life. Discipline, learning valuable skills, managing money, choosing the right people around you, these things compound over time. Five focused years in your twenties can completely change the direction of your life.
I also wish I understood earlier that not everyone around you is meant to grow with you. Some people are only comfortable when you stay at their level. Learning to distance yourself from environments that slow your growth is one of the hardest but most important decisions you will ever make.
Another thing I wish I knew is that health is not permanent. In your twenties you feel strong and almost invincible, but the way you treat your body early will determine how you feel decades later.
And finally, I wish I knew that comparison is a silent thief of peace because everyone’s journey is different. The real competition is between who you were yesterday and who you are becoming today.
You should always be rooting for the people you know. Not only because you may need their support tomorrow, but also because it feels good to celebrate something.
Celebration can rescue your day—even if it is someone else's victory. Envy will ruin your day—even if you're actually winning.