Nothing you don't already know: Remarkable reminders about meaning, purpose, and self-realization

by Alexander Den Heijer

It’s not hard work that exhausts us most, it’s meaningless work that exhausts us most.

It’s not hard work that exhausts us most, it’s meaningless work that exhausts us most.

The most harmful road is not the road with the toughest obstacles, but the road that’s heading in the wrong direction.

The most harmful road is not the road with the toughest obstacles, but the road that’s heading in the wrong direction.

Fear holds us back from choosing another road. And so we continue, one heavy foot in front of the other, hoping that one day things will end up resolving themselves. But in our hearts we suffer.

Fear holds us back from choosing another road. And so we continue, one heavy foot in front of the other, hoping that one day things will end up resolving themselves. But in our hearts we suffer.

Unless we have the courage to get off the road, we will only get farther away from our true North. We may not know our destination yet, but our heart will tell us when we’re headed in the right direction.

Unless we have the courage to get off the road, we will only get farther away from our true North. We may not know our destination yet, but our heart will tell us when we’re headed in the right direction.

Many of us struggle to find meaning in life. We are so absorbed by our work and our daily distractions that we do not take time to reflect and ask ourselves where we would like to go in our lives.

Many of us struggle to find meaning in life. We are so absorbed by our work and our daily distractions that we do not take time to reflect and ask ourselves where we would like to go in our lives.

You may be perfectly aware of what it is that you are working on, but are you also aware of what you are working for?

You may be perfectly aware of what it is that you are working on, but are you also aware of what you are working for?

There’s a lot of fulfillment to be found in aligning yourself with a meaningful aim, and to work toward it, every single day.

There’s a lot of fulfillment to be found in aligning yourself with a meaningful aim, and to work toward it, every single day.

Hardship with purpose may strengthen us.

Hardship with purpose may strengthen us.

Hardship stretches us and enables us to realize our potential.

Hardship stretches us and enables us to realize our potential.

Do we see hardship as a meaningless way to make us suffer, or do we see it as a meaningful way to make us stronger?

Do we see hardship as a meaningless way to make us suffer, or do we see it as a meaningful way to make us stronger?

You can’t discover your passion by thinking about it.

You can’t discover your passion by thinking about it.

One does not discover passion by thinking about it. We don’t think passion, we experience passion.

One does not discover passion by thinking about it. We don’t think passion, we experience passion.

Passion manifests as a result of wholehearted effort.

Passion manifests as a result of wholehearted effort.

igniting your spark is like falling in love. That's the easy part. Staying in love and weathering the inevitable storms is the hard part.

igniting your spark is like falling in love. That's the easy part. Staying in love and weathering the inevitable storms is the hard part.

When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.

Set up your environment in a way that’s supportive of your growth.

Set up your environment in a way that’s supportive of your growth.

We can alter our environment to a certain extent, but it takes courage to leave an unhealthy environment, and it takes wisdom to understand what kind of environment is best for our health. Sometimes the best way to change ourselves is to change our environment.

We can alter our environment to a certain extent, but it takes courage to leave an unhealthy environment, and it takes wisdom to understand what kind of environment is best for our health. Sometimes the best way to change ourselves is to change our environment.

Never underestimate the importance of having a place where you can show up as you are; where your whole self is welcome, not just a part of yourself.

The problem with fear is that it suppresses creativity, joy, curiosity, and spontaneity.

‘Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.’

It’s vital to find ourselves a place where we can be who we are, a place where we feel at home. If you don’t have such a place, go look for it. If you can’t find it, create it.

Changing is not the problem; letting go of your resistance to change is.

Frustration is often the result of trying to resist change. In fact, it’s the result of resisting life itself.

Quitting a job, ending an unhealthy relationship, asking someone for a date… it only takes one decision. How easy! What is hard though is to make that decision. It’s the hesitation to make a decision that consumes our energy, not the decision itself.

It’s not the mountain in front of us that we must overcome; it’s the hurdle within ourselves.

Every time a decision is made, a path emerges.

If nothing emerges, you haven’t made a decision; you've just come to a conclusion. A conclusion says ‘you should do this’ whe...

Our rational mind is good at generating conclusions, but our emotional...

Reason is our navigator but emotion presses...

visionaries are so powerful; they see a future as if it already exists, and they decide to make it happen.

So the point is, start with the vision in mind. Make it crystal clear where you want to go, or who you want to be, and ask yourself if you’re willing to take responsibility for it. Decisions and responsibility go hand in hand. Without responsibility there can be no decision.

So find out what it is you want, and cut off what's irrelevant.

Believe in yourself. You become what you beli...

‘Whether you believe you can do a thing or not,...