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Instead of a simple, intense fear of something powerful and real, we developed a kind of generalized anxiety.
the value not only of being unafraid but also of attacking life with a sense of boldness and urgency and an unconventional approach, creating new models instead of following old ones.
They embrace the advances in technology that make others secretly fearful.
if we are able to overcome our anxieties and forge a fearless attitude towards life, something strange and remarkable can occur—that margin of control over circumstance increases.
supreme boldness, unconventionality, fluidity, and a sense of urgency—that give them this unique ability to shape circumstance.
At any moment in life you can convert to realism, which is not a belief system at all, but a way of looking at the world.
It might seem that seeing so much of reality could make one depressed, but the opposite is the case. Having clarity about where you are headed, what people are up to, and what is happening in the world around you will translate into confidence and power, a sensation of lightness. You will feel more connected to your environment, like a spider on its web.
Sometimes luck or serendipity is more a function of the openness of your mind.
Get a fingertip feel for everything going on in your environment—the complete terrain.
When you do not get to the root of a problem, you cannot solve it in any meaningful manner.
the further and deeper we contemplate the future, the greater our capacity to shape it according to our desires.
THE ULTIMATE POWER IN LIFE IS TO BE COMPLETELY SELF-RELIANT, COMPLETELY YOURSELF.
They wanted the comfort and security of a paycheck. And this would become the pattern for the rest of their lives—afraid of life’s challenges, they would come to depend on other people to help them.
True ownership can come only from within. It comes from a disdain for anything or anybody that impinges upon your mobility, from a confidence in your own decisions, and from the use of your time in constant pursuit of education and improvement.
If you do not own yourself first, you will continually be at the mercy of people and circumstance, looking outward instead of relying on yourself and your wits.
Before it is too late, you must move in the opposite direction. You cannot get this requisite inner strength from books or a guru or pills of any kind. It can come only from you. It is a kind of exercise you must practice on a daily basis—weaning yourself from dependencies, listening less to others’ voices and more to your own, cultivating new skills.
Almost all of us must begin our careers working for others, but it is always within our power to transform this time from something dead to something alive.
But generally taking on such things on your own initiative forces you to work harder and better. You are more creative and motivated because there is more at stake; you rise to the challenge.
what you really value in life is ownership, not money. If ever there is a choice—more money or more responsibility—you must always opt for the latter.
Your tendency will be to look at what other people have done in your field, how you could possibly repeat or emulate their success.
Understand: you are one of a kind. Your character traits are a kind of chemical mix that will never be repeated in history. There are ideas unique to you, a specific rhythm and perspective that are your strengths, not your weaknesses. You must not be afraid of your uniqueness and you must care less and less what people think of you.
Things that come easy and fast will leave you just as fast. The only way to gain self-reliance or any power is through great effort and practice. And this effort should not be seen as something ugly or dull; it is the process of gaining power over yourself that is the most satisfying of all, knowing that step-by-step you are elevating yourself above the dependent masses.
THE POWER WHICH RESIDES IN HIM IS NEW IN NATURE, AND NONE BUT HE KNOWS WHAT THAT IS WHICH HE CAN DO, NOR DOES HE KNOW UNTIL HE HAS TRIED.
Even the worst shit that happens to you can be converted into gold if you are clever enough.
EVERY NEGATIVE IS A POSITIVE.
The fearless types require some kind of adversity against which they can measure themselves. The tenseness of such dark moments brings out their creativity and urgency,
If we look for more—information, outside people to help us—it won’t necessarily lead to anything better; in fact the waiting and the dependence makes us less creative.
You must go the opposite direction and move before you think you are ready. It is as if you are making it a little more difficult for yourself, deliberately creating obstacles in your path.
When you feel that you must work harder to get to your goal because you are not quite prepared, you are more alert and inventive. This venture has to succeed and so it will.
the moral is to the physical as three to one—meaning the motivation and energy levels you or your army bring to the encounter have three times as much weight as your physical resources.
IF ANYBODY WANTS TO KEEP CREATING THEY HAVE TO BE ABOUT CHANGE.
he started experimenting with four or five hustles at the same time; inevitably one of the angles would work and pay for all the others.
This hunger for control, common to all of us, is the root of so many problems in life.
a feeling of urgency—we have to get something done—pushes us to act in a particularly energetic manner, and this starts a good run.
momentum in life comes from increased fluidity, a willingness to try more, to move in a less constricted fashion.
moments of change and apparent chaos are what you thrive on—they make your mind and spirit jump to life.
In his experience, whenever he wanted something in life, he couldn’t afford to be nice and submissive; he had to get active and forceful.
