And he noticed that the more the he wrote, the better he felt. He opened to his wife, and to his work. His depression lifted.*
Susan Cain

James Pennebaker‘s personal experience of writing out
the difficult things in his life
turned into forty years of study;
Again and again he found that those who wrote out their troubles
benefitted more than the test groups who were asked to
write about mundane things.
Of course, we can write about the good things, too, including
our ideas and hopes:
It’s more likely that action will follow the words.

*Susan Cain’s Bittersweet.

and like all infinite games, the goal is not to win, it is to perpetuate the game*
Simon Sinek

The ego, static and unmoved, relates to the world in terms of having objects, while the self is related to the world in the process of participation.**
Erich Fromm

Having is about winning, and
winning requires that the game is ended, and
the trophy presented.
Being, though, is
an infinite game, continuing
all the way to the end,
The thing we must do
beyond and outside the lines.

*Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game;
**Erich Fromm’s The Revolution of Hope.

For humility is … the only effective antidote to narcissism, and all its associated evils. It is, in essence, a readiness to admit its shortcomings coupled with a willingness to learn, be that from people, animals, plants, or even machines – whoever masters something we do not. The opportunities are infinite.*
Anna Katharina Schaffner

In this game, we only get one choice. Once we are born we are players. The only choice we get is if we want to play with a finite mindset or an infinite mindset.**
Simon Sinek

Although we only have the one choice,
We get to make it at the beginning of each new day.
It can therefore be helpful to have some way of
framing this:
Journaling,
Prayer,
Meditation … –
Everybody has five minutes.^
Being honest about
who we are and
what we have and
what we can do with these,
Which is how I think about
humility;
After all,
We’re preparing for an infinite game.

*Anna Katharina Schaffner’s The Art of Self Improvement;
**Simon Sinek’s The Infinite Game;
^Dan Harris’ 10% Happier.

Other than death, there is no finish line or retirement for the creative person.*
Austin Kleon

We do, indeed, have much to learn from nonhuman teachers, which can suggest surprising and new way of tackling our challenges. … We need to address our in bill limitations by looking across the species barrier.**
Anna Katharina Schaffner

Learning is
and endlessly renewing commodity, a
constant life companion, the
greatest gift, a
never disappointing wonder, here
today and
again tomorrow.

*Austin Kleon’s blog: There is no finish line;
**Anna Katharina Schaffner’s The Art of Self Improvement.

courage (n.)

c. 1300, corage, “heart (as the seat of emotions),” hence “spirit, temperament, state or frame of mind,”from Old French corage “heart, innermost feelings; temper” (12c., Modern French courage), from Vulgar Latin *coraticum (source of Italian coraggio, Spanish coraje), from Latin cor “heart”.

The man of action … forgets a great deal to do one thing.*
Friedrich Nietzsche

*Lewis Hyde’s A Primer for Forgetting.

Beginning precedes us, creates us and constantly takes us to new levels and places and people.*
John O’Donohue

*John O’Donohue’s Benedictus.

Being present demands all of us.  It’s not nothing.  It may be the hardest thing in the world.*
Ryan Holiday

*Ryan Holiday’s Stillness is the Key.

I admit to believing in goodness.*
Alex McManus

*Alex McManus‘ Blue Moments (unpublished).

Whatever pain you can’t get rid of, make it your creative offering.*
Susan Cain

I think that the initial values that the brain is equipped with are pain and discomfort.**
Ryunosuke Koike

Yesterday,
I found myself encouraging someone to connect with
who they already are.
None of us can be someone else, but
we each can be more ourselves.
Perhaps counterintuitively,
This takes place as we consider how we can serve others,
Even surprising ourselves at what we can bring that helps another,
As Viktor Frankl foresaw for each of us
willing to take this journey:
Self-actualisation is possible
only as a side-effect of
self-transcendence.^
I do not know if it is possible for
all pain and comfort to be so redeemed,
But for many,
It has helped forge their distinct voice,
Enabling the most beautiful “art”:
It’s not that pain equals art.
It’s that creativity has the power to look pain in the eye,
and to decide to turn it into something better.*
Which sounds a lot like Wallace Stevens
opening my eyes to see how
the power of imagination transforms
the pressure of reality.

*Susan Cain’s Bittersweet;
**Ryunosuke Koike’s The Practice of Not Thinking;
^Anna Katharina Schaffner’s The Art of Self Improvement.