Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.
The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.
Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…it’s about learning how to dance in the rain. Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.
When in doubt, show up early. Think less. Feel more. Ask once. Give thanks often. Expect the best. Appreciate everything. Never give up. Make it fun. Lead. Invent. Regroup. Wink. Chill. Smile. And live as if your success was inevitable, and so it shall be.
Sometimes the best helping hand you can get is a good, firm push. “The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better.”
You can have anything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.
“Your life is right now! It’s not later! It’s not in that time of retirement. It’s not when you’ve moved into the new house. It’s not when you get the raise. Your life is right now. It will always be right now. You might as well decide to start enjoying your life right now, because it’s not ever going to get better than right now–until it gets better right now!”
We may not know the full truth until we are in the ‘beyond’ – yet we have a choice in the ‘here & now’. We can complain and blame about the negative events and obstacles we experience or we can imagine and source the new possibilities presented. One choice leads to increasing despair and decreasing resourcefulness. The other opens doors – and certainly feels a lot better.
Well, this statement provokes some thought. The Lion from Oz certainly comes to mind. Having more guts or the courage to do things is always going to be a help. Being courageous means facing fear head on and not to be afraid to move further. Practice these affirmations daily and you’re on your way to manifesting strength and courage!
What others think about me is unimportant – what I think about myself is vital
I am proud of who I am; I respect myself
I am strong, courageous and in control of my life
I radiate courage and strength in everything I do today
I find it easy to approach and communicate confidently with others
I act with bravery in all situations today
I find it easy to draw upon inner strength and courage when I need it
It’s easy to speak my mind, and I do it
Day by day, in every way, I build my strength and courage
The inspiring message below is offered by Brian Johnson. Brian loves helping people optimize their lives so they can actualize their potential as he studies, embodies and teaches the fundamentals of optimal living—integrating ancient wisdom + modern science + practical tools. Learn more and optimize your life at www.optimize.me.
Brian writes, “If you haven’t noticed, I can’t quite get enough of Stoic wisdom.
In fact, I can’t quite get enough of ancient (Stoic) wisdom AND modern science—which is why I’ve been on a little streak of reading one positive psychology book then a Stoic book then another science of flourishing book then back to the Stoics.
Repeat.
With joy.
So…
In my quest to read all things Stoic and, more importantly, become a better practitioner of the ancient wisdom in our modern times, I found myself reading Tom Morris’s book The Stoic Art of Living.
As we’ve discussed, Tom is one of my favorite authors. He has a joint Ph.D. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Yale and is one of the most popular professors in Notre Dame’s history.
But what I most love about him is the fact that every time we connect I’m blown away by the depth of his wisdom and the enthusiastic joy with which he shares it. It’s palpable.
So…
When I saw that he had this book on Stoicism I got it and was eager to read it. Tom wrote it nearly 20 years ago—before Stoicism made a resurgence in popularity.
It’s fantastic.
Here’s my favorite passage from the book—which is ESPECIALLY relevant in turbulent times.
“Too many people seem to view the toughness of the world, the difficulties of life, as undermining the possibility of any sort of strong confidence in our pursuits. Seneca looks at this in the opposite way, seeing the obstacles we face as a proving ground for that inner attitude of resilient self-confidence that we all need:
The powers we have can never inspire in us a genuine inner self-confidence until we have confronted many difficulties along the way, and even now and then have had to struggle fiercely with them. This is the only way our true spirit ever can be really tested—the inner spirit we have that will never consent to be ruled by outer forces. The nature of such a spirit can be seen in the fact that no prizefighter can go into a contest with high spirits if he has never been beaten black and blue. The only man who can enter the ring with confidence is one who has seen his own blood, has felt his teeth rattled by an opponent’s fist, has been tripped up and has experienced the full force of an adversary’s charge, who has been knocked down in body but not in spirit—one who, as often as he falls, gets up again with greater determination than ever.
He even goes so far as to say in one place that:
Disaster is virtue’s opportunity.“
I’d like to shine a VERY BRIGHT spotlight right on that last line.
Disaster?
It’s virtue’s opportunity.
It’s a call to PRACTICE our philosophy—with more intensity than ever.
With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at our cardinal virtues and figure out how we can put them to work for us TODAY.
Ancient Wisdom says, practice these four cardinal virtues: Wisdom + Self-Mastery + Courage + Love. – Wisdom: We know the game we’re playing and how to play it well. (Hint: Live with virtue! High five your inner soul!) – Self-Mastery: We’re actually playing the game when it matters most. (Hint: Right now!) – Courage: We’re willing to act in the presence of fear. (Now what needs to be done?!) – Love: We remember the ultimate WHY of it all: Love. (Let’s be kind, present and encouraging!)
Modern Science says, practice your Top 5 signature strengths (what’re yours?) and THE Top 5: Zest + Hope + Gratitude + Curiosity + Love. – Hope: We know our future will be better. (Why? Because we’ll do whatever it takes to make it so. Starting TODAY.) – Gratitude: We appreciate all the blessings in our lives—especially (!) when things are tough. (“God, thank you for blessing me with the gift of…”) – Curiosity: We are eager to see how the future will unfold and we shine a flashlight on what’s working and what needs work. (So… What’s working? What needs work?! +1 +1 +1!!) – Zest: We know that ZEST or Energy is the #1 predictor of our eudaimonic flourishing. (As such, in the toughest times, we’re the MOST committed to our fundies: Eat! Move! Sleep!)
One more time…
“Disaster is virtue’s opportunity.”
How can you put your virtues into practice?!
TODAY!!!”
Brian Johnson – www.optimize.me
I strongly recommend that you check out philosopher Brian’s site at the url above and discover his synopses of over 500 books of wisdom and inspiration. Remember as Grandma Moses advised, “Life is what you make it. Always was – always will be.”
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