IMHO, one should never get hooked on having a boss, leader, or teacher.  They’re only there to offer you advice and support so that in the long term, you will experience the glorious privilege of not needing them, and the dubious honor (and enormous headache) of possibly having to be one.

One who doesn’t experiment/test their beliefs will become chained to theory and ideals, and will subsequently be unable to surf the waves of functionality that briefly appear from instance to instance, from context to context.

I’ve heard tons of spiritualists bray, “I am not this body,” and shuck any responsibility to care for the flesh-vehicle that they’ve been gifted with.  I believe that position is woefully shortsighted; I see my body as a marvelous interface I use to interact with physical reality.  While I believe (though I cannot prove) that I am not JUST this body, denying my corporeal existence would be a stark refusal to accept the evidence before me.  I follow these premises by embracing the idea that external stimuli have an effect on my mood, cognition, and energy levels.  Then I adjust accordingly to maximize my fulfillment.  If I were to deny the existence of my body, then that might lead me to behave as if my physical condition has no effect on the quality of my life—a stance I find erroneous and dysfunctional.  Instead,  I choose to view my body like a car I know will one day be scrapped—sure, it’ll eventually end up in the trash, but why not maintain it so I can enjoy the ride?

From what I’ve seen, the more people deny the myriad influences of external pressures—their “programming” in other words—the more they seem to get locked into it.

After a certain amount of trial and error, life invites us to examine the evidence and see if our chosen ideals/methodologies are working for us.  In the event that they aren’t, we are given the opportunity to create NEW systems/methodologies based on our accumulated knowledge, and in doing so, sharpen our spirits and minds.  Ironically, others will take up these systems/methodologies that we’ve create, and in that case we may be in the timeless position of reminding those people that they will eventually need to figure things out for themselves.

The first step to doing my best is letting go of the notion that the result could ever be “perfect.”  The second step is using creativity to carve out time/resources to let me work on my project.  The third step is getting to work.  The fourth step is to stay vigilant, constantly assessing whether I’m balanced—whether I need to regulate the amount/direction of my efforts.

Critical thinking is the oftentimes uncomfortable guide that points out what needs to be done.  

Precision and discipline allow you to do it.

Perseverance is only a prerequisite.  After the moment of failure, if one combines a willingness to take in all data, accounting for it as best as possible AND persevere as well…then that individual has demonstrated character.  Simply persevering without questioning my operating system invites me to end up as nothing more than life’s punching bag.

I’ve found that if I don’t think of anyone I dislike/hate as an inadvertent guru, I’ve wasted a great opportunity.

Self-flagellation = Indulgence.  Objectively addressing a weakness = Strength.