soft ambition is about playing the long game without losing yourself in the process. it’s about wanting success, but on your own terms—without sacrificing your sanity, health, or joy along the way. it’s ambition without the sharp edges.
Don’t give it all away. Don’t even give most of it away. Retrench. Be clear. With yourself, but not necessarily with others. Let the fame wave pass. Live by the sea.
He said it again: “Deepen the mystery. That’s it, isn’t it?”
if you make a ton of money, towards the end of your life you'll be less worried about the incremental billion, and more worried about explaining your legacy.
The thing that no one ever tells you about your calling is that it’s boring. Oh, everything is interesting if you’re interested… shut up. Yes, it will be exhilarating and fun and fluid and and natural and meaningful. It will also be tedious. It will hurt. You will encounter obstacle after obstacle until you feel like you’re in a video game with... See more
“when you avoid difficulty, you avoid your own gifts” via Ava, bookbear express
About half of my friends kind of hate their jobs, so they're moderately unhappy most of the time, but never unhappy enough to leave. This is the mediocrity trap : situations that are bad-but-not-too-bad keep you forever in their orbit because they never inspire the frustration it takes to achieve escape velocity.