Think. Refrain. Steadfast. Fair
2 ears. 1 mouth, for concise brevity.
Goodness over greatness.
Attainment over obtainment
The distractions. The disturbances. The dissonance. They are obstacles, all within your control, between you and your goal.
Does it impact you directly? No? Is it yours to control? No? Then find the appropriate emotional distance to view this from.
Work towards a purpose that has value to you. Otherwise, you risk living someone else’s life and wasting your own.
If you’re going to insist on thinking for yourself, expect other people to do the same.
Life doesn’t come with meaning attached. We attach meaning to it and each individual has the freedom to attach their own meaning to it. What could possibly go wrong?
Mind the things you control. Don’t mind the things you can’t. Remind yourself more often.
On needles in haystacks:
- It is easy to focus on the single needle and ignore the haystack (forest for the trees). Examples include cognitive distortions, especially dismissing the positive and filtering.
- Have I ever found our discovered a needle in the proverbial haystack? Do you need to look for the needle or can you just happen upon it? Either way, I don’t know that I have.
- How do you guarantee that you find a needle in the haystack? Consistent. Methodical. Persistent.
- I never find the needle by over thinking things.
- Details are important. Their omission/selection change the story. Remember the details, remember the story.