I have a simple wish: *"Every time I face a difficult problem, I have a guiding quote in my mind."* That's the reason I'm collecting my favorite quotes here. I ❤️ them! ## On Thinking > Choose not to be harmed - and you won't feel harmed. Don't feel harmed - and you haven't been. > -[[Meditations]] by [Marcus Aurelius](https://www.amazon.com/Marcus-Aurelius/e/B000AR7YUW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1) ❧❧❧ > The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts. > -[[Meditations]] by [Marcus Aurelius](https://www.amazon.com/Marcus-Aurelius/e/B000AR7YUW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1) ❧❧❧ > “It is impossible to learn that which one thinks one already knows,” Epictetus says. You can’t learn if you think you already know. You will not find the answers if you’re too conceited and self-assured to ask the questions. You cannot get better if you’re convinced you are the best. > -**Ego is the enemy** by Ryan Holiday ## On Life > The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose. > -[[Meditations]] by [Marcus Aurelius](https://www.amazon.com/Marcus-Aurelius/e/B000AR7YUW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1) ❧❧❧ > If you're the smartest person in the room, then you're in the wrong room. > -Richard Feynman ❧❧❧ > It’s very simple to be **HAPPY**, but it’s very difficult to be **SIMPLE** > -Rabindranath Tagore ❧❧❧ > A fit body, a calm mind, a house full of love. These things cannot be bought — they must be earned. > -Naval Ravikant ❧❧❧ > The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. > -Mark Twain ❧❧❧ > This is a fundamental truth about any sort of practice: If you never push yourself beyond your comfort zone, you will never improve. > -Anonymous ❧❧❧ > An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a narrow field > -Anonymous ❧❧❧ > The reason people get good ideas in the shower is because it's the only time during the day when most people are away from screens long enough to think clearly. The lesson is not to take more showers, but rather to make more time to think. > -James Clear ❧❧❧ > "Use what you already know. People are so busy searching for a shortcut — or hoping an easier path will reveal itself — they let numerous moments slip by when they could get results simply by doing what is right in front of them." > -James Clear ❧❧❧ > It starts with accepting that no matter how much you improve, you will always have **imperfections** — those are the things that make you, you. > And maybe, just maybe, you are fine as you are. > -[Eve Arnold](https://substack.com/@evearnoldwrites?) ## On Behaviors > Reminder: If someone is acting like an idiot, you can just move on and let them be wrong. You do not have a personal obligation to correct people who are committed to being stupid. Sure, sometimes you need to attempt to get on the same page, but usually you can simply reclaim your time and move on to more productive ventures. > > -James Clear ❧❧❧ ## On Habits > "If you keep showing up, you'll almost certainly break through — but probably not in the way you expected or intended. You need enough persistence to keep working and enough flexibility to enjoy success when it comes in a different form than you imagined." > > -James Clear ❧❧❧ > "In theory, consistency is about being disciplined, determined, and unwavering. > > In practice, consistency is about being adaptable. Don't have much time? **Scale it down**. Don't have much energy? **Do the easy version.** Find different ways to show up depending on the circumstances. Let your habits change shape to meet the demands of the day. > > Adaptability is the way of consistency." > > -James Clear ❧❧❧ > An old **Latin proverb,** "Initium est dimidium facti", reminds us of the timeless importance of simply beginning the task at hand. It translates to: > > "Once you've started, you're halfway there." > > Source: Horace, the Roman poet, in his work Epistles ## On Process > "The end of a melody is not its goal." > > -Friedrich Nietzsche > -Source: The Wanderer and His Shadow ❧❧❧ > "Nearly everything awesome takes longer than you think. Get started and don't worry about the clock." > > -James Clear ❧❧❧ > You can't make time go faster or success come sooner. The only thing you can control is the **next action**. > > -James Clear ## On Emotion/Gratitude > "Emotions come from inside you, but they show on your face." > > -Anonymous ❧❧❧ > "I make a point to appreciate all the little things in my life, because I learned early that if you don't, you get disappointed a lot. If you do, you might be pleasantly surprised quite often. > > I go out and smell the air after a good, hard rain. I re-read passages from my favorite books. I hold the little treasures that somebody special gave me. By keeping my eyes open for unexpected joys, I find the world gives back more than we sometimes think." > > -Singer, songwriter, and actress **Dolly Parton** on gratitude