You are very lucky if you get to hang out on a daily basis with people who are much stronger, smarter, wiser than you. Your standards will naturally rise. Your growth will never stop.
Start with the thing you are most motivated to do. Start with a small behavior and do it consistently. This will not only feel satisfying, but also open your eyes to the type of person you can become. It does not matter which domino falls first, as long as one falls.
People don’t understand when you’re in a season of intensity. A season where you are “busy” building out a meaningful future with maximum clarity.
They say, “Why don’t you take a break and have some fun?”
They can’t see that nothing else is more fun than what you are doing.
Imagine how much further you’d be if you did things even when you didn’t feel like doing them.
People think there’s some complex formula to winning - when the most basic one is: do what you said you were gonna do before it became inconvenient.
It just takes work. Shit loads and shit loads of work. Every time I try and dress it up or cut a corner I get brutally reminded:
The work just needs doing.
Just as one must suffer physical pain to build stronger bone and muscle, one must suffer emotional pain to develop greater emotional resilience, a stronger sense of self, increased compassion and a generally happier life.
"I no longer look for the good in people, I search for the real... because while good is often dressed in fake clothing, real is naked and proud no matter the scars." - Chishala Lishomwa
Effort is not the hard part. Anyone can put in the effort.
The hard part is focus. Not losing sight of what matters. Not getting distracted or trying to take shortcuts. Not judging yourself or thinking everyone is secretly laughing at you behind your back. That's the hard part.
Life is all about spending your years with the people you love, doing the things you love, fulfilling your deepest passions, while falling more and more in love with yourself.
Somehow, through a flip of the coin, I ended up here. Feeling like somebody at the top of the heart-lung transplant recipient list. Damaged but invigorated and fucking lucky. - Augusten Burroughs, Magical Thinking