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*Alex McManus‘ Blue Moments (unpublished).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.

At the same time, nature is pleasantly diverting, in a fashion that lifts our mood without occupying all our mental powers; such positive emotion in turn leads us to think more expansively and open-mindedly. In the space that is thus made available, currently active thoughts can mingle with deep stories of memories, emotions,, and ideas already present in the brain, generating inspired collisions.*
Annie Murphy Paul

*Annie Murphy Paul’s The Extended Mind.

An overnight success almost never is. Might as well plan for the journey.*
Seth Godin

Longing for worldly things makes you inert. Longing for Infinity fills you with life. The skill is to bear the pain of longing and move on. True longing brings up spurts of bliss.**
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Called beyond ourselves –
A longing from a great distance rather than
the immediate –
We journey on for many days and years,
Perhaps we never reach the destination we thought to see.
And yet,
The journey contains the richness of moments
only made possible by the persistent longing.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.^

*Seth Godin’s blog: All at once and quite suddenly;
**Susan Cain’s Bittersweet;
^Constantin Cavafy’s Ithaka.