Letters To My Son

There is a difference between self-talk that is aspirational and self-talk that is delusional. The difference is not in the words. The difference lies in practice.

I’m now in that stage of my life where I’m becoming more and more aware that it’s now towards the end. It’s lovely being on the open sea, but I’m becoming aware that there’s land ahead. There’s an end to the journey.

People worry they will die of boredom or fear if they are alone by themselves for any length of time. Other people have become so distraction-addicted that they would consider sitting alone by themselves like being in a sensory deprivation tank.

It might be hard now. It might hurt now. It might be uncomfortable now. But when you’re eventually standing upon an existence that aligns with who you are and what you want, you’ll see how necessary at all was.

What you do is overcome. That is who you are. You’ve done it for you. You’ve done it for the ones you love, and in some cases the ones who didn’t even understand but you kept going.

Seneca wrote that “only the prize fighter who has been bloodied and bruised in training and previous matches, can go into the ring confident of his chances of winning”.

“The greatest mistake physicians make is that they attempt to cure the body without attempting to cure the mind; yet the mind and body are one and should not be treated separately.”

We live in a world that often values positivity and happiness above all else, it can be difficult to embrace our negative emotions. However, by doing so, we can gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Remember that rekindling love, after such a long time apart, won’t be easy. It may take time to fully heal and rebuild. But with patience, understanding, and a willingness to put in the effort, it is possible to reignite the love and passion that once existed between you.

Because the truth is every morning, when you wake up, you are living minutes you will never get back. You are breathing air you will never take in again. It is your one opportunity to embrace this gift. And every second sees a little of it slip away.

Every job you have should prepare you for the next one somewhere else, even if you choose to stay where you are.

You are always one decision away from a totally different life. And that decision should be first and foremost to choose future over past. Your next step over the last one. Choose your ideal world and start building.

The only way to break through the noise, to create something, is to fully and wholeheartedly believe in yourself. Believe in yourself to the extent that you can detach from the criticism, detach from the façade of perfect lives on social media, and the expectations you’re immersed in.

What an amazing thing it is to be alive, doing this activity right now, in the miracle of existence, and of this moment. What a breathtaking thing, if only we don’t take it for granted, and fully appreciate the fleeting joyful beauty of this moment.

Taking risks is not just about going for a job or applying to a college. It’s about acting on what you know and accepting what you don’t know. It’s about being open to people and to ideas.

The Japanese have a term, “mono no aware” that speaks to the impermanence, ephemeral nature to all things. It’s so sweet, tinged with some sadness, because everything we care about is beautiful and fleeting. This fleetingness only makes things more precious.

“How much more meaningful what are stories BF, at our funeral, people talked less about her accomplishments and more about our encouragement?”

It’s all just a story, isn’t it? It’s a narrative in our heads, that we replay, over and over, until it beat us down into submission. The thoughts are not true. There’s no objective panel of judges in the sky who have judged us unworthy. We just made up the story, and we pick out evidence to match the narrative.

“This is the secret of happiness that, even if we don’t realize, dogs teach us daily”.

You are not responsible for saving anyone. You are not responsible for convincing them to improve. It’s not your work to exist for people and give your life to them.

Are you watching the best part of life pass you by? Perhaps waiting for another time to do what you were put on this planet to do. Listen to me. Get what’s yours. I know you. Let your talents change the world. Give yourself this chance.

How would you act differently tomorrow if you knew that your actions and attitude on that “one” day we’re going to be a permanent testament to your life?

We need to learn to let go. We need to be able to forgive, so we can move on and be happy. Forgiveness does not mean you erase the past, or forget what has happened.

If you can refuse to let it control your actions, then you’ll still go down the path of gaining mastery, and in the gaining of mastery, you will have the last laugh.

What if your purpose and your gift was to help people find compassion for themselves? People who are struggling with harshness in self-criticism. So maybe this creates a shift in purpose, exploring self-compassion for yourself, and a way to share that with others.