23 quotes for 2023: How can he be happy that cannot abide in happiness? – Boethius

You will never outperform your self-image. Whoever you think you are deep down, you will never climb higher than that.

“In January 2012, I beat Nadal in the finals of the Australian Open. The match lasted five hours and fifty-three minutes. Many commentators have called that match the single greatest tennis match of all time. After I won, I sat in the locker room in Melbourne. I wanted one thing: to taste chocolate. I hadn’t tasted it since the summer of 2010. Miljan brought me a candy bar. I broke off one square—one tiny square—and popped it into my mouth, let it melt on my tongue. That was all I would allow myself. That is what it has taken to get to number one.” – Djokovic

In any bond of depth and significance, forgive, forgive, forgive. And then forgive again – Maria Popova

Inwardly, psychologically, be a nobody. – Bruce Lee

Biggest regrets I have are almost exclusively things I did *not* do. — Sam, 47

I was always destined to be that one warrior. Content to be the motherfucker who sharpens his sword alone. — David Goggins

We’re bold people, aren’t we? That’s the beauty – Peaky Blinders

You can make magic by going farther than most other people think is reasonable. When Warren (Buffett) was asked, “How’d you do it?” He said, “I read a couple thousand financial statements a year.”

All I want to do is make better sushi. I do the same thing over and over, improving bit by bit. There is always a yearning to achieve more. I’ll continue to climb, trying to reach the top, but no one knows where the top is. – Jiro

I do not like the idea of happiness — it is too momentary. I would say that I was always busy and interested in something — interest has more meaning to me than the idea of happiness. – Georgia O’Keefe

Always remember that at 42 years old, Lee Kuan Yew was sobbing live on television as his life’s work collapsed into ruin: Singapore had been expelled from Malaysia. It is never over.

Cut it out with the introspection. The mind is a den of scorpions better left running from, not towards. – Vigilante

Every time I work I know I’m going to experience an ungodly amount of humiliation. It’s just how it’s gonna go. There’s no way I can get through it without being humiliated. That’s part of like…letting go in some ways. – Joaquin Phoenix

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. – Jordan

When art critics get together they talk about Form and Structure and Meaning. When artists get together they talk about where you can buy cheap turpentine – Picasso

In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable. – Rob Arnott

Rather than steering your life to avoid surprises, aim directly for them – Kevin Kelly

One sign that determination matters more than talent: there are lots of talented people who never achieve anything, but not that many determined people who don’t. – Paul Graham

I would say being able to stay present in the work…is probably the most important part of it. – Rick Rubin

A vibe is an emotion pretending to be an explanation – Venkatesh Rao

I think I could potentially train harder, because you wanna be as close as possible to being injured, without actually being injured. And I haven’t pushed it as far as being injured yet, so, maybe I haven’t pushed it enough. – Magnus Mitdbo

How can he be happy that cannot abide in happiness? – Boethius

One lesson I’ve learned is that if the job I do were easy, I wouldn’t derive so much satisfaction from it. The thrill of winning is in direct proportion to the effort I put in before. I also know, from long experience, that if you make an effort in training when you don’t especially feel like making it, the payoff is that you will win games when you are not feeling your best. That is how you win championships, that is what separates the great player from the merely good player. The difference lies in how well you’ve prepared. – Nadal

From the seed-bed
The Dharma raises flowers.
Yet there is no seed
Nor are there flowers.

Daily Habits Checklist (May 15th – June 11th): A painter, who became Picasso

Another good 4 weeks and the progress I believe is starting to show, at least in private. The big gap in late May was due to a family cruise which was a great time. And all that white space on Friday May 26th was the result of a delayed flight. I suppose I *could* meditate and do back stretches while waiting at the terminal, but am averse to public attention…

My music habits have been moved to their own category. These include practicing the piano and guitar, and writing song lyrics. Thus they aren’t here, on the main list. But maybe I’ll include them in future updates. My goal is to start publishing songs soon. They probably won’t sound very good :/

Some thoughts on the habits…

Waking early: Your partner’s sleep schedule has a big impact on yours. If your sleep and wake cycles aren’t in sync, then one of you (usually both of you) will suffer. If you can’t get in sync, consider sleeping in separate beds and ignore the social stigma…? :)

Pushups: Seeking ways to “exceed my level”, in the words of Bruce Lee. In this case, eg, decline pushups

Meditate: Still remains hard, after all these years. Why?

My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.

Here’s why I track habits this way.

Thanks for reading!