A true student is like a sponge. Absorbing what goes on around him, filtering it, latching on to what he can hold. A student is self-critical and self-motivated, always trying to improve his understanding so that he can move on to the next topic, the next challenge. A real student[…]
360/365 Every day the dust comes back
He explained that training was like sweeping the floor. Just because we’ve done it once, doesn’t mean the floor is clean forever. Every day the dust comes back. Every day we must sweep. From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday
359/365 Never happy with what we have
That’s how it seems to go: we’re never happy with what we have, we want what others have too. We want to have more than everyone else. We start out knowing what is important to us, but once we’ve achieved it, we lose sight of our priorities. Ego sways us,[…]
358/365 Better, lesser, equal
The mixed martial arts pioneer and multi-title champion Frank Shamrock has a system he trains fighters in that he calls plus, minus, and equal. Each fighter, to become great, he said, needs to have someone better that they can learn from, someone lesser who they can teach, and someone equal[…]
357/365 Appearances are deceiving
Appearances are deceiving. Having authority is not the same as being an authority. Having the right and being right are not the same either. Being promoted doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing good work and it doesn’t mean you are worthy of promotion (they call it failing upward in such bureaucracies).[…]
356/365 Not progress
Research shows that while goal visualization is important, after a certain point our mind begins to confuse it with actual progress. From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday
355/365 Silence
So what is scarce and rare? Silence. The ability to deliberately keep yourself out of the conversation and subsist without its validation. Silence is the respite of the confident and the strong. From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday
354/365 Seeing yourself with a little distance
You must practice seeing yourself with a little distance, cultivating the ability to get out of your own head. Detachment is a sort of natural ego antidote. It’s easy to be emotionally invested and infatuated with your own work. Any and every narcissist can do that. What is rare is[…]
353/365 Inside our own fantasy
We can’t work with other people if we’ve put up walls. We can’t improve the world if we don’t understand it or ourselves. We can’t take or receive feedback if we are incapable of or uninterested in hearing from outside sources. We can’t recognize opportunities—or create them—if instead of seeing[…]
352/365 The first principle
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool. — Richard Feynman From “Ego is the Enemy: The Fight to Master Our Greatest Opponent” by Ryan Holiday