Think. Refrain. Steadfast. Fair.
2 ears. 1 mouth. Don’t interrupt.
To be infallible is too high a burden for any one person to place upon themselves. Don’t do it.
Do I like to serve or do I like to feel needed? If I lack utility, do I lack purpose?
Why do I tell myself in the morning to not expect something different, but (by the afternoon) I hope for it still? Be smarter than that.
Do not step onto the roller coaster. You know it scares you more than it thrills you.
Did you fall down? Get up! You can’t? Are you sure? Has no one else ever been in your situation? Did no one else ever find a way? Be resilient, every time.
No creature moves without practice, even when they are hardwired for it. It is even more challenging to learn something you aren’t hardwired for. Give yourself grace.
Practice is purposeful failure with a growth mindset.
If you are disappointed at the end of the day, you have only yourself to blame. The day will go as you expect it to.
Michelle Obama is quoted as saying, “if you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.” This, of course, is wrong. People are going to define you how they choose – no matter if you move quickly or slowly – so think, refrain, be steadfast and fair, and move rightly.
The best adventure in life is the one that requires the most courage.
Planning is easy. Execution is difficult.
Planning is placing the minimum bet to see the flop. Execution is going all in immediately after. It might be the right move, but only fate decides if I come out a winner.
What makes a choice right, the choosing or the outcome? The choosing. Yet the best choices in life can end in tragedy while the worst choices can end in unbelievable success. So what is the lesson? Choose well, but don’t go all in until you’re willing to lose the game.
Hadn’t heard this before until this week: Traditions are solutions to problems we have forgotten about.
You’ll never be what you aim to be (wise), but it is important to always move in the right direction (toward wisdom).
Wisdom is an elusive moving target. Fortunately, it only ever moves in a straight line and always backwards. If your aim is true, your arrow will only come up short, over and over and over again. Don’t stop. Go pickup your arrow and try again. Keep trying, and when you feel like you aren’t making progress or getting any closer to your target, look back and see all the progress you’ve made and how far you’ve come from where you started. Now turn back towards wisdom and try again.
Chasing wisdom? Be grateful. Sisyphus had to start over from the same spot every time.
On imposter syndrome:
- Fake it until you make it. What does that mean, exactly?
- Fake the knowledge of the job or the confidence in yourself to do it?
- My initial thought is that it means you openly fail with outward confidence until you learn and grow enough that your failures aren’t noticed anymore. But that still requires confidence. Perhaps not in immediate success, but in certain growth.
- It is something winners say after they’ve adapted to new challenges or obstacles that they have yet conquered. They doubted their odds of success, but ultimately knew deep down that they could succeed, or else they wouldn’t have tried.
- It is reason overtaking anxiety.
- I’ve occasionally felt unworthy, none more than some occasions in San Diego when I was with people far more educated than me. I think it is okay to be in the room, though, so long as you don’t pretend to be something your not.
- Imposter syndrome isn’t a fraud game. A fraudster is trying to convince someone to invest in some thing, an externality. An imposter is trying to convince someone to invest their confidence in the imposter themself.
- If you are authentic, you can’t be an imposter. An imposter is a fraud.
- Does an imposter necessarily need to be deceitful, or can they just be naive? An imposter is deceitful. Someone with imposter syndrome might, however, be a fool. But you don’t want to be a fool? You can’t control what others think of you (fool or not?), so do your best, learn from your opportunity, adapt, and grow. Imposter syndrome is only a fear of looking the fool. Get over it. Stop trying to control what other people think of you. THAT is the fool’s errand.
- Are you a fraud or do you just fear not being what or who you aim to be? You’re not a fraud? Then remain steadfast.
- How much imposter syndrome is a fear of being judged as a fraud? By who? How much do I control what they think of me? If that control is minimal, how could I every gain the confidence I need to overcome the sense that I’m an imposter?