Tag: inspiration

Quotes

“Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

Featured patmcg1 Comment

I love this quote, which I came across in a list of ancient stoic quotes (with some pretty good visuals).

Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.

Epicteus

This quote reminds me of a series on Confucius, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad.

This series noted the one thing these leaders had in common: sure, they all had interesting ideas, but more importantly, they lived by their ideas. If they had just talked a lot, they would not have had the real-world impact that they had. Their actions were inspiring.

So if you want to be a pretty cool and impactful person, in whatever form that takes, then figure out what you stand for and live it.

I know, I know… that’s easier said than done.

But what else are you going to do that could be any better?

Besides, it’s fun to do stuff, and talking gets old.

You

Be a (good) shark 🦈

Featured patmcgLeave a comment

This Medium post lists some great ways to make your life easier: Focus on next steps. Be present. Say no a lot. Focus on one thing.

One really surprised me, though: speed up.

I was going to add a point about slowing down but then decided to mix things up a bit and go the other way.

Alex Mathers

I second that idea. 👍

“Speeding up” is what I like to think of as relaxed focus. Just keep moving forward; the motion keeps your momentum up and keeps your thoughts and actions fresh and relevant. No more paralysis of analysis.

Get moving. Prioritise a kind of fluid, calm urgency in your life.

Now, Ted Lasso said “Be a goldfish“, but I’m going to say “Be a shark.”

A quick drawing of a shark moving quickly.

Okay, a shark is a deadly predator. Don’t do that; set that aside for a minute.

The best quality about sharks is that they understand relaxed focus. A shark is always moving purposefully, but it’s never in a hurry.  A shark don’t stop or wallow or get bored or frustrated.  A shark is always going somewhere and always has a plan. A shark’s movement seems to feed its energy rather than expend it.

So in life, be a shark. Keep moving purposefully and own your little neck of the ocean.

See also

“Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.”

“How can a guy think and hit at the same time?”

You

Imperfect is perfect 🙌 (visual)

Featured patmcgLeave a comment

I like the saying, “Imperfect is perfect”. Sometimes I switch it up to, “Perfect is boring.”

Music that is super-slick and produced starts to sound kind of the same.

As a person’s appearance approaches “perfect” (often with plastic surgery), they start to look the like everyone else who had that surgery.

That’s why I love this visual from Harsh Darji on Medium. All the circles are perfect but the same. The odd one on the end stands out. You could even say it’s outstanding. 👌

Via Harsh Darji

👉 See also: Sometimes it’s their looks, but it’s never just that