Think. Refrain. Steadfast. Fair
2 ears. 1 mouth, for concise brevity.
Goodness over greatness.
Attainment over obtainment
Seek serenity through goodness. Good character with good intentions, making good choices. Fate cannot ever that that from you.
The things you do for yourself disappear when you die. But things you do for others … don’t kid yourself, they’ll disappear too.
That thing that you feel sadness for today will foster growth and resilience tomorrow. Don’t wallow in it. Figure it out, learn from it, and move on. You aren’t the only person in the world to deal with this and you’ve probably dealt with some other version of this before, so get over it and yourself.
Why does it feel so bad to feel silenced? To not have a voice?
It feels worse to not say something than it does to say something and not be heard. Or does it?
Learn. Choose. Assess. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Do you. All the time. Ceaselessly.
Know thyself; not as much who you are today, but who you aim to be tomorrow. Don’t forget. Don’t lose sight.
Soren Kierkegaard said, “Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” It is the irrevocability of each choice; you get only one chance to do it right. This moment will never present itself to you again. Ever. Don’t fuck it up. The butterfly effect is a thing, after all.
There are countless bad people in the world doing countless bad things. You can’t make them go away, so choose instead to not let them diminish you.
Did you have a thought or a feeling? Did you inspect first, or did you allow it to assent without pause, same as the common dog might do?
Make the world a better place. Maybe you serve just one person. Maybe it is only in just some small way, but that is okay.
The world’s trajectory is sometimes improved (even to the smallest extent) by the things you didn’t do at much as things you did.
Do unto others, as they say. You harm yourself most when you don’t.
On nature:
- Daily life: doesn’t include as much nature as it should. Not enough fresh air. Not enough green. Not enough sun. I need more of it all, and stars and fresh air too
- The woods are a great place to walk off the stress. The water is an even better place to find peace.
- I crave most from nature the quiet. The lack of people. Not always trying to figure out what to say or how to act. Take all that away, though, and you are left with your thoughts. Careful what you wish for.
- My favorite memories of the outdoors in childhood: (1) loading firewood into the old trailer in the woods and (2) cycling, wherever I wanted.
- When I look up at the stars, I’m humbled. They are glorious. Glorious light from millions of years ago, passing through the lens of my eye to remind me of my insignificance.
- More often than not, a day outdoors is a fruitful day. If you’re out despite the child or heat, you must be doing something important. If you are comfortable, surely it is better than being inside.
- I feel most free in outdoor spaces. Less confined.