🤔 Morning thoughts (June 3 - 9)
Every Sunday I share a quote and a reflection on it for each day of the week.
Themes of the week: Discipline, courage, resilience, presence, equanimity, growth, perseverance.
Sunday - June 9, 2024
"The first step in overcoming this is to realize that the ability to deal with conflict is a function of inner strength versus fear, and that it has nothing to do with goodness or badness."
Robert Greene, The 50th Law
Your ability to deal with conflict is proportional to the confidence in your ability to come out of it unscathed, no matter the outcome.
Saturday - June 8, 2024
"The internal attributes I created made me impervious to defeat"
Wes Watson, Non-Negotiable
What if the only way to lose was to lose yourself? Then you’d simply need to build better beliefs, values, and habits as your anchor.
Friday - June 7, 2024
"It takes relentless self-discipline to schedule suffering into your day, every day, but if you do, you’ll find that at the other end of that suffering is a whole other life just waiting for you."
David Goggins, Can't Hurt Me
Discipline is not something you stumble on, it’s something you work at. It’s the unseen work that nobody will ever congratulate on or reward you for that you have to take pleasure in.
Thursday - June 6, 2024
Focus on acting in the way you know you should, regardless of the circumstances. Focus on the actions you take, not on their outcome or payoff. The payoff may give you information on what to do next, but not on who you should be next.
Kyle Eschenroeder, The pocket guide to action
We humans are all about the “what’s in it for me”, the benefit, the reward. What if the reward was you engaging with life? That’s not a given. Instead of taking it for granted, savor every moment. You’ll ultimately forget about the outcome.
Wednesday - June 5, 2024
"He should lean just slightly beyond the edge of fear and discomfort. Constantly. In everything he does."
David Deida, The Way of the Superior Man
Never taking advantage of the power and focus that your fears provide and always leaning into what’s comfortable, is wasting life. Pleasure and fulfillment come when you’re engaged and feel alive. Don’t settle.
Tuesday - June 4, 2024
When things are going well, that is precisely when you must be concerned and vigilant. You know it will not last and you will not be caught unprepared. When things are going badly, that is when you are most encouraged and fearless.
Robert Greene, The 50th law
Doing the work means facing hard and good times the same exact way. Because you don’t let external circumstances dictate the effort you put in. There’s just the work and the process of getting it done.
Monday - June 3, 2024
"You don’t have to have all the answers. You just have to keep yourself in check. You have to do your job in the moment, let your training guide you. You do what’s right, what is immediately in front of you, bravely, calmly, clearly."
Ryan Holiday, Courage Is Calling
When you’re on the right path the bravest and most important thing you can do is to trust the work you put in. Trust that with diligence and discipline that work will take care of you.