Tessa Mania

Architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray on thinking for yourself:

"To create, one must first question everything. Never adopt someone else's conclusion without putting it to the test of your own reasoning and imagination."

Source: Eileen Gray: Her Work and Her World

"You are as old as the risks you take. In many ways, aging is not the process of growing old, but rather the slow death of becoming overly protective, scared, and worried about losing what you have. Youth is found in the energy of going for it, taking the risk, and trusting that you'll figure it out along the way."

"The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence."

Source: The First and Last Freedom

"One way to stand out is to look for pockets of low competition.

Wake up early—less traffic, fewer people.

Go deeper or narrower in your field—less noise, more space.

People are drawn to where it is crowded. Look for the quiet spaces inside your areas of interest. Excellence often hides at the edges."

"There is always more than one way to do something. Write down as many ways as you can think of to achieve your desired outcome. Then, rank them based on how much time they take, how much money they cost, and how effective you expect them to be. Choose the best."

"The beginning is mostly luck. The end is mostly choices."

What do I need to let go of this year to create space for what I really want?

"Caring about everything is a disaster.

Caring about nothing is also a disaster.

Nurture the small pocket of things that truly matter to you."

"A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt."