Reminders for myself

You don’t have to do things others do, or have things they have, at the expense of the deeper things you want. You really don’t. Almost everything is an option. You have full permission to ask yourself what really matters to you—whatever that is—and then optimize for that in all hard tradeoffs of life. You’re going to have to make some sacrifices a... See more

“If a person gave away your body to some passerby you’d be furious. Yet you hand over your mind to anyone who comes along, so they may abuse you, leaving it disturbed and troubled. Have you no shame in that.” —Epictetus

The world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.

people don't actually feel good when you're nice to them. They feel incredible when you say something true about them that also happens to be beautiful

There comes a moment in life, often in the quietest of hours, when one realizes that the world will continue on its wayward course, indifferent to our desires or frustrations. And it is then, perhaps, that a subtle truth begins to emerge: the only thing we truly possess, the only thing we might, with enough care, exert some mastery over, is our min... See more

“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you w... See more

the subtle posture that has taken a lot of experimentation and failure to cultivate is like 1. realize that most people won’t get you or understand or care 2. be at peace with that, not bitter or vindictive, and look past them for the “few” that get it, and care

We think of ourselves as solitary and distinct, but in the end we’re all interdependent. The paradox is that acknowledging that you’re affected by others makes you a more confident and capable person. If you try to pretend you need nobody but yourself you’ll always be paranoid, untrusting, unwilling to let your guard down. Believe in a version of y... See more

What women want to see are men with intention. Intention with your life, your work, your relationships, your dreams, with your physical body. Intention creates assertive, confident men that make women feel safe.