We tend to amplify our problems and sink into a centre-of-the-world mentality, thinking that the entire universe is conspiring against us; it’s not.
I’m not looking to be happy all the time nor do I want to be satisfied and content. I enjoy an ambitious hunger, and as long as I’m moving forward, learning, sharing, and growing, I’ll be grateful for every nugget that comes my way, whether it be sh*t or gold.
Wanting less will definitely make you happier than getting more.
Expectations are a bigger enemy to our happiness than our circumstances; the less expectations you have, the better off you are.
Humans are funny creatures because we can carry fears even when out of danger.
No one is fearless, but the bravest people I know are those most in tune with their fears and phobias, and have decided not to let those get in the way of their happiness.
As humans, we seek affirmation over information. In simpler terms, we look for evidence to support what we already believe, and subconsciously ignore the things that contradict that.
The most important relationship you have is with yourself, simple. Putting the responsibility of your smiles on anyone else will often lead to the opposite, and you have no one else to blame except yourself.
Give a damn about yourself first, then those who give a damn about you, and then see if you have any damns left to give.
Love is something you share because you have it, not something you give desperately because you need it.
Your priorities are not revealed in your words, they are revealed in your actions, and your actions are revealed by your schedule.
Instead of trying to find that right person for you, focus on becoming that right person yourself.
Selfish isn’t pursuing what you want in life, it’s when you’re not also helping others in theirs.
“It’s not the days in your life, but the life in your days.”
Respecting mortality will dramatically enhance how efficiently we spend the time we have here. It also keeps us from sweating the small stuff (when you compare it to death, all of it is small stuff).
We’re all going to die, and for me, that’s what makes life worth living.
If people don’t like you for who you are, change the people, not yourself.
Life doesn’t start after the obstacles; life is the obstacles.
Love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
There was a cool TED talk that discussed the concept of love being an apparatus of nature used to ensure we coexist long enough to reproduce, ensuring the continuity of our species and nothing more.
In my experience, you just need to shut the f*ck up and START. No proclamations, no “as soon as...”, and no delays. Just get started.
There are plenty of reasons to be miserable and there are plenty of reasons to be happy. Decide what you want in your life, and realize the responsibility for how you feel lies solely with you.
Education is only valuable to those who want to learn and expand their minds. That’s where apathy is the culprit. The issue isn’t that people don’t know, it’s that they don’t care to know.
We can’t control the ignorance or apathy of others, but we can recognize it in ourselves; let’s start there.
When kids get a certificate for just showing up, good luck telling them to work hard to enjoy the fruits of their labor. In a culture that keeps promoting quick and easy, greatness can be at risk.
The people that don’t want you to succeed are simply projecting their fears and inadequacies on you. If you find yourself being discouraging to others, ask yourself, “What am I afraid of if they succeed.”
Not everyone connects with the hunger situation in Africa, or are even aware the hunger situation is worse in the subcontinent of India, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
Once people stick the flag of identity into a belief they no longer see a distinction between the belief and themselves. These are the types of individuals that get bent when you criticize their beliefs.
The wisest ones are the ones that acknowledge how little they actually know.
Some people believe that what’s happening to them determines their happiness, but the reality is, how they deal with those things determines how they feel.
No animals are worried about what time it is, or being late, or even running out of time. Animals only experience fear in the present, and that fear is what they use to get out of danger. Our fears plant seeds in our brain to grow into things we have yet to experience or finished experiencing a long time ago.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
suffering is a key reason we evolve and improve our situation. It’s not in our nature to be at peace, that’s why first world problems exist. Once your basic needs are met, you make up a bunch of new ones to be sad about.
I’m not monogamous with those ideas. I don’t identify myself by the things I believe, it’s a fickle foundation to stand on. Rather I take pride in my commitment to unlearning and letting go of stale ideas that no longer agree with me.
It’d be too idealistic to assume we can live free of our past, as we are a product of it, but we can use those experiences to extract lessons that will benefit our present, and subsequent future.
We’re happiest when we’re in the moment, it’s probably why folks have sex, gamble, drive their cars really fast, meditate, or do any other activity that dissolves a wandering mind.
Don’t play the game that others play, where they build a shell of a life just for display purposes. Have a life of substance that you want, even if that isn’t what others feel is best for you.
We have this inclination to plant our flag into things to identify ourselves, our style, our possessions, and our beliefs. The issue with this arises when we forget that these disposable items create a disposable identity.
The fear of loneliness comes into play as well. I think SOME folks don’t enjoy being alone because they don’t enjoy their own company. Maybe it’s because they don’t feel they live up to their own expectations or because it’s as awkward as being stuck in a room with a stranger.
Detachment is stressed in Sikh philosophy. Attachment is identified as a larger thief of contentment than anger, greed, or lust. We’re such socialized creatures we don’t even realize how attached we are to the things that were taught to us growing up.
re-watch the footage over and over and over again wishing we could Marty McFly our way back to that very moment so we can change things for the better. The flaw in this, beyond the fact that time travel is yet to exist, is that there’s no guarantee that altering the past would have made for a better present.
Don’t give it out expecting it to be returned. When reciprocity is expected, can we even call that love?
Life will never be what happens to you, but rather how you deal with the things that are happening.
Fear is a large roadblock for our heart, and can be used as support for our brains to tell us to stay safe and avoid risk. What are we really staying safe from? Death? That can only be delayed, not avoided. Failure? That’s an essential part of growth. Suffering? That’s an essential tool for survival. Playing it safe doesn’t ensure anything in a universe where we have very little control.
Your heart is not your heart; it’s just a romanticized label for another part of your brain.
“KNOWING is out of style, and BELIEVING is in fashion; we need to bring KNOWING back in style.”
Every label we hold, every label we stick on others, every label we judge is not real. They’re not real, but they’re effective. These labels do a wonderful job of making the ‘others’ less like us and easier to care less for.
Don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re a bag of blood, bones, and meat floating on a spinning rock; enjoy the ride.
Healthy ambition is climbing a peak-less mountain, while enjoying the view every step of the way.
Put yourself first, it’s not selfish. Expecting others to put you first; that is selfish.
It costs nothing to dish out some extra compliments here and there. They don’t have to be forced or disingenuous, look for something that inspires a positive reaction. If I see someone made an effort to dress up, I compliment their outfit, or earrings, or shoes.
The stronger our relationship with ourselves, the less dependent we become on others, and the healthier those relationships actually become.
Cockiness and confidence will always have a fine line, so we’re better off accepting that some may never realize there’s a difference between the two.
Having negative thoughts about yourself can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Never make the mistake of assuming illegal means immoral. It used to be illegal for women to vote, black folks to sit at the front of the bus. In some parts of the world, it’s still illegal for girls to go to school.
What we see in other people is a highlight reel of their life. We then make ourselves more miserable by comparing that to our behind the scenes.
I don’t subscribe to the existence of ever lasting happiness. It’s a wonderful and desirable idea, as well as a great marketing tool for movies, television and religions, but very illogical. There’s utility in all the emotions we feel and it’s up to us to actively utilize them as the gifts they can be.
Anytime you are disappointed, try to identify the expectation that wasn’t met, and ask yourself if it was an expectation worth having in the first place.
It’s never too late to start, and finishing last is better than didn’t finish, which is better than didn’t start.
There isn’t much motivation needed when you want to change bad enough. Some have such an attachment to the familiar that those feelings trump their need to change, and thus, they settle.
If you’re feeling the need to move to a new self, but feel bound to the person you once were, realize you’re not being held, but rather you’re holding on.
The grass will always seem greener on the other side, because what we really see is a reflection of our envy.
“You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” - Les Brown
When you want it more than you fear it, you’ll get it. When you want it more than you care about the opinions of others, you’ll get it. When you want it more than life itself, you’ll get it. When you want it that much, there’s nothing left to do, but get it.
Writer Robin Sharma wisely said, “Don’t tell me your priorities, just show me your schedule, I’ll figure out your priorities from that.”
If you want the power to make yourself happy, you have to assume the responsibility for your happiness. Taking responsibility means you can’t play the blame game anymore. Once you assume that power, you can break the cycle.