The valley is where we shed the old self so the new self can emerge. There are no shortcuts. There’s just the same external three step process the poets described from time eternal: from suffering to wisdom to service.*
David Brooks

We thrive when we find a goal and a metric that’s resilient and easily replenished. It turns out that making a contribution is something we can do, again and again, and it never gets old.**
Seth Godin

The valley lies between two mountains,
One of getting, the other of giving:
The getting of stuff or being noticed or achieving something more or bigger,
Or not being the imposter or avoiding being thought less of or feeling bad about ourselves,
To knowing ourselves and noticing others, and appreciating what we have and imagining
how to make this available to others, again and again, because
we are this gift’s endless source.

*David Brook’s The Second Mountain;
**Seth Godin’s blog: Choose your fuel wisely.