Are you productive or busy? The most dangerous person in the room is the one no one sees coming. Life your life intentionally. People who want to be great can be great. If you don't believe you have the talent, you end up limiting yourself. Big players didn’t start out as big but had to develop, grow, and rise to their station. The endgame is often what everyone looks at, but it shouldn’t be all you see. Break it down, to the next hours, to the next five minutes, and win that. Pushing through the hard times isn’t about eliminating stress, it's about strategically managing it. You are likely to waste your time waiting for something to happen instead of doing your best to get it. You can't chase all the rabbits, chase one relentlessly. Unlimited possibilities are as good of distractions as social media. Refuse to let challenges hold you back, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable, internal or external. Take on the hard thing that can make all the difference. Refuse negativity. Fear isn’t a red light, it is a good place to start and a sign to look closer at what is making you halt. You’re on the edge of something you should think more about, often something incredibly challenging, and too many people run from that edge. Your fear should raise the stakes, not a white flag.
Julie GurnerPlay hard to get with your own happiness. Discomfort is a therapy for the soul, make it constant and positive. You’re never going to change your life if you’re too busy being numb to it. Learning the fundamental principles instead of just the immediate behaviors is the difference between being a cook and being a chef. If you’re doing it right, you don’t feel like an expert but like a person who has been mildly electrocuted by their own ambition. You’re supposed to take things step-by-step, day after day, until the knowledge seeps into your brain and settles down. Hope leads to a 12% gain in academic performance, a 14% bump in workplace outcomes, and a 10% happiness boost. You’re hopeful if you think that the future will be better and that you have a role in making it so. Identify multiple ways to get where you want to go. You don't need to be a constantly evolving showroom of human perfection. Make yourself look ridiculous to feel less ridiculous. Messing up isn’t a you-exclusive event, it’s a global party and everyone’s invited. Validation is about recognizing the emotion behind the action. Ask questions that serve the other, not you, and describe their pain to them. Respond to people's vulnerability with gaps, laughs, and winces instead of the regular warmth.
Eric Barker