“
If you plan to build walls around me, know this—I will walk through them.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Making Wishes: Quotes, Thoughts, & a Little Poetry for Every Day of the Year)
“
To turn your dreams into reality, all your resources, efforts and concentration should be aligned in the same direction.
”
”
Roopleen
“
If the fire in your heart is strong enough, it will burn away any obstacles that come your way.
”
”
Suzy Kassem (Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem)
“
Tis in ourselves that we are thus
or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which
our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant
nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up
thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs, or
distract it with many, either to have it sterile
with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the
power and corrigible authority of this lies in our
wills. If the balance of our lives had not one
scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the
blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us
to most preposterous conclusions: but we have
reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal
stings, our unbitted lusts, whereof I take this that
you call love to be a sect or scion.
”
”
William Shakespeare (Othello)
“
I am the kind of person who, if my feelings are unrequited, can completely detach from someone emotionally if I simply put my mind to it.
”
”
Mindy Kaling (Why Not Me?)
“
Most of life's actions are within our reach, but decisions take willpower.
”
”
Robert McKee (Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting)
“
When you encounter obstacles, don’t turn your back on them. Face them, confront them and your will see them dissolving in front of your eyes.
”
”
Roopleen (Words to inspire the winner in YOU)
“
Believe in yourself. Under-confidence leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy that you are not good enough for your work.
”
”
Roopleen
“
Attitude is that little thing that will make the most difference in the accomplishment of your goals.
”
”
Roopleen
“
Extra miles, extensive preparation and exhaustive efforts usually show astonishing results.
”
”
Roopleen
“
You cannot wish for happiness but you can work towards your life goals and create lasting happiness.
”
”
Roopleen
“
You have to go head, even if no one goes with you.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Celebrating your achievements and applauding your triumphs is a sure way to refuel your enthusiasm and keep yourself motivated for your future endeavours.
”
”
Roopleen
“
To be able to live each day with honor, respect and dignity is the greatest achievement of all.
”
”
Roopleen
“
She knows her timing, always knows. The time to strike or the time to starve. Her eyes as a clock, she watches she waits she learns, and in the second she blinks, she changes her mind just like that.
”
”
Anthony Liccione
“
I won't die. I won't give those ghouls the pleasure. I'll live and grow strong. I'll escape, then hunt them down and make them suffer.
”
”
Darren Shan (The Thin Executioner)
“
Happiness is a choice you make when you allow faith through the entry gate and fear through the exit gate.
”
”
Roopleen
“
But success shall crown my endeavours. Wherefore not? Thus far I have gone, tracing a secure way over the pathless seas, the very stars themselves being witnesses and testimonies of my triumph. Why not still proceed over the untamed yet obedient element? What can stop the determined heart and resolved will of man?
”
”
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Frankenstein)
“
You may encounter many disappointments. Be strong. Tell yourself, “I am good enough, I will try again.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Inspiration may come from many places but motivation - the love of life, daily drive and the will to thrive - that must come from you from within
”
”
Rasheed Ogunlaru
“
Our children will be counted, and justice will be served. Our babies deserve a fair chance at life. We are our children’s groundbreakers; therefore, we cannot give up. We might run out of breath but we must have the willpower when moving forward to fight for our children’s voices to be heard. Bullying is not accepted
”
”
Charlena E. Jackson
“
Authentic inspiration endows individuals with mental or spiritual energy which they are then able to transform into positive action. It can make all the difference between a man, woman, or child allowing despair to permanently paralyze any dreams they may have for their lives, or, exercising sufficient strength of will to make those dreams a reality.
”
”
Aberjhani (Journey through the Power of the Rainbow: Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry)
“
There is nothing in this world that you cannot do. Every goal is achievable. You just need to focus on your objectives, be persistent in your efforts and work hard to make it happen. There can be no hurdle uncrossable, no obstacle invincible and no stumbling block insurmountable.
”
”
Roopleen
“
It is not important for life to meet your great expectations. What is important is that you hold high expectations of yourself and meet them greatly.
”
”
Roopleen
“
Sam Harris argues convincingly that it’s impossible to successfully think of what you’re going to think next. The takeaway from chapters 2 and 3 is that it’s impossible to successfully wish what you’re going to wish for. This chapter’s punchline is that it’s impossible to successfully will yourself to have more willpower. And that it isn’t a great idea to run the world on the belief that people can and should.
”
”
Robert M. Sapolsky (Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will)
“
Your brain is involved in everything you do.
Your brain controls everything you do, feel, and think. When you look in the
mirror, you can thank your brain for what you see. Ultimately, it is your brain that
determines whether your belly bulges over your belt buckle or your waistline is trim and
toned. Your brain plays the central role in whether your skin looks fresh and dewy or is
etched with wrinkles. Whether you wake up feeling energetic or groggy depends on your
brain. When you head to the kitchen to make breakfast, it is your brain that determines
whether you go for the leftover pizza or the low-fat yogurt and fruit. Your brain controls
whether you hit the gym or sit at the computer to check your Facebook page. If you feel
the need to light up a cigarette or drink a couple cups of java, that's also your brain's
doing.ACTION STEP Remember that your brain is involved in everything you do, every
decision you make, every bite of food you take, every cigarette you smoke, every
worrisome thought you have, every workout you skip, every alcoholic beverage you
drink, and more.
”
”
Daniel G. Amen (Change Your Brain, Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted)
“
He who can endure the worst can withstand any thing.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
You have to conquer every obstacle, before you can reach the top of the mountain.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
People who enjoy the struggles of a gym are the ones who run triathlons and have chiseled abs and can bench-press a small house. People who enjoy long workweeks and the politics of the corporate ladder are the ones who fly to the top of it. People who enjoy the stresses and uncertainties of the starving artist lifestyle are ultimately the ones who live it and make it. This is not about willpower or grit. This is not another admonishment of “no pain, no gain.” This is the most simple and basic component of life: our struggles determine our successes.
”
”
Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life)
“
The belief that you cannot change leads to a victim mentality. If you are determined by nature to be what you are, then there is nothing you can do about your lot in life. Conversely, the belief that you can change leads you to take responsibility for your life. You may have been born with certain constraints, but you can change those constraints, allowing yourself to improve and grow.
”
”
Benjamin P. Hardy (Willpower Doesn't Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success)
“
Stand like a beaten anvil.
It is the part of a good athlete to be bruised and to prevail.
”
”
Ignatius of Antioch (The Epistles of Ignatius and Polycarp)
“
Do not run away from your challenges. You must endure and overcome each challenge.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
You must endure long enough to be victorious.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Self determination is greatest will power.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Keep up your determination and drive, because you have the willpower to fight off your weakness.
”
”
Charlena E. Jackson (Dying on The Inside and Suffocating on The Outside)
“
it’s impossible to successfully will yourself to have more willpower. And that it isn’t a great idea to run the world on the belief that people can and should.
”
”
Robert M. Sapolsky (Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will)
“
Do whatever you have determined to do.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita
“
The sweetest fruits grow at the top of a tree so that only those who deserve them can reach them.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Be confident, be courageous!
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Arise and pursue your dreams.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Sometimes, situation may be uncomfortable but must endure.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
You get a: "Can Do Attitude," by practicing to be excellent. Since you earn success by being determined, higher willpower is earned too. Raise yourself to excellence.
”
”
Mark F. LaMoure
“
The certainty within our spirit made the dream reality.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
The brevity of life is grace to walk on your own path.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Self-control is a better predictor of academic success than intelligence (take that, SATs), a stronger determinant of effective leadership than charisma (sorry, Tony Robbins), and more important for marital bliss than empathy (yes, the secret to lasting marriage may be learning how to keep your mouth shut). If
”
”
Kelly McGonigal (The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It)
“
STEVE CARELL IS NICE BUT IT IS SCARY
It has been said many times, but it is true: Steve Carell is a very nice guy. His niceness manifests itself mostly in the fact that he never complains. You could screw up a handful of takes outside in 104-degree smog-choked Panorama City heat, and Steve Carell’s final words before collapsing of heat stroke would be a friendly and hopeful “Hey, you think you have that shot yet?”
I’ve always found Steve gentlemanly and private, like a Jane Austen character. The one notable thing about Steve’s niceness is that he is also very smart, and that kind of niceness has always made me nervous. When smart people are nice, it’s always terrifying, because I know they’re taking in everything and thinking all kinds of smart and potentially judgmental things. Steve could never be as funny as he is, or as darkly observational an actor, without having an extremely acute sense of human flaws. As a result, I’m always trying to impress him, in the hope that he’ll go home and tell his wife, Nancy, “Mindy was so funny and cool on set today. She just gets it.”
Getting Steve to talk shit was one of the most difficult seven-year challenges, but I was determined to do it. A circle of actors could be in a fun, excoriating conversation about, say, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and you’d shoot Steve an encouraging look that said, “Hey, come over here; we’ve made a space for you! We’re trashing Dominique Strauss-Kahn to build cast rapport!” and the best he might offer is “Wow. If all they say about him is true, that is nuts,” and then politely excuse himself to go to his trailer. That’s it. That’s all you’d get. Can you believe that? He just would not engage. That is some willpower there. I, on the other hand, hear someone briefly mentioning Rainn, and I’ll immediately launch into “Oh my god, Rainn’s so horrible.” But Carell is just one of those infuriating, classy Jane Austen guys. Later I would privately theorize that he never involved himself in gossip because—and I am 99 percent sure of this—he is secretly Perez Hilton.
”
”
Mindy Kaling (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns))
“
We may think there is willpower involved, but more likely...change is due to want power. Wanting the new addiction more than the old one. Wanting the new me in preference to the person I am now.
”
”
George Sheehan
“
We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end war; For we know that You have made the world in a way That man must find his own path to peace Within himself and with his neighbor. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation; For you have already given us the resources With which to feed the entire world If we would only use them wisely. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, To root out prejudice, For You have already given us eyes With which to see the good in all men If we would only use them rightly. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end despair, For You have already given us the power To clear away slums and to give hope If we would only use our power justly. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease, For you have already given us great minds with which To search out cures and healing, If we would only use them constructively. Therefore we pray to You instead, O God, For strength, determination, and willpower, To do instead of just to pray, To become instead of merely to wish. Jack Riemer, Likrat Shabbat
”
”
Harold S. Kushner (When Bad Things Happen to Good People)
“
Its the things in life that we love that keep us going. The willpower to achieve a goal and the hope of finishing it. The determination to never give up. The strength to pick ourselves back up. And the love to fuel it all.
”
”
Emir Talundzic
“
For his book Willpower, psychologist Roy Baumeister analyzed findings from hundreds of experiments to determine why some people can retain focus for hours, while others can’t.
”
”
Jocelyn K. Glei (Manage Your Day-To-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind)
“
Where there's a will, there's a way. Perhaps tomorrow, if not today.
”
”
Runa Heilung
“
Do all the work you can in your youthful days while you have the greatest strength.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
He who knows his strength has overcome many difficulties.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
It is the possibility of the dream, which quickens my spirit to take action.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Sometimes adversity becomes the fuel in which we run on.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
You have to conquer every obstacle to realize the goal.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Acting is a skill that not only requires talent, but a determination: The willpower to shake off reality and plunge yourself into yourself into a character than you have to act on.
”
”
Low Kay Hwa (A Photogenic Life)
“
Reject anything advice, which does not lead to your personal progress.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Success come only through high ambition, good guidance, strong will, determining and effort.
”
”
Santonu Kumar Dhar
“
Accomplishment of your dreams requires personal sacrifice and hardworking.
May the you have a determined spirit, will power and a great passion for the accomplishment of your dreams.
”
”
Lailah GiftyAkita
“
Hope. It is the most important thing in the world. I believe that now more than ever. Hope is what saved my life, hope is what gave me the courage and the strength to carry on. Hope – that unshakable, golden belief that things can get better.
”
”
Alexander Gordon Smith (Execution (Escape from Furnace, #5))
“
The seemingly impossible is not the path of the least resistance, but definitely the most rewarding one. Believe that it’s going to happen and tell everyone it’s going happen. Then it will happen. You just need willpower, determination and a smile on your face.
”
”
Suzanne van der Veeken (Ocean Nomad | The Complete Atlantic Sailing Crew Guide - How to Catch a Ride & Contribute to a Healthier Ocean)
“
You build a confident: "Can Do Attitude," by practicing to be excellent. Since you earn success by being determined, higher willpower is earned. Be the best. Raise yourself to excellence, by writing your goals and working hard on them. Drive yourself to success.
”
”
Mark F. LaMoure
“
Stand like a beaten anvil, when thy dream
Is laid upon thee, golden from the fire.
Flinch not, though heavily through that furnace-gleam
The black forge-hammers fall on thy desire.
Demoniac giants round thee seem to loom.
'Tis but the world-smiths heaving to and fro.
Stand like a beaten anvil. Take the doom
Their ponderous weapons deal thee, blow on blow.
Needful to truth as dew-fall to the flower
Is this wild wrath and this implacable scorn.
For every pang, new beauty, and new power,
Burning blood-red shall on thy heart be born.
Stand like a beaten anvil. Let earth's wrong
Beat on that iron and ring back in song.
”
”
Alfred Noyes (Collected Poems Complete)
“
I bought a book on willpower, but I only got halfway through.
”
”
Stewart Lee Beck
“
Teams that spend a lot of time learning the tricks of the trade will probably never really learn the trade.
”
”
Yuri Boganov
“
Gravity is no match against one who is determined to reach the stars.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Willpower and determination have their limits. A compelling life purpose, one you believe God created you for, will help you push beyond those limits
”
”
Tom Cunningham
“
Will is intention favored by emotions.
”
”
Raheel Farooq
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Be daring, be determined!
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
You have a beautiful soul.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
A task is only difficulty, when we not find the best strategy to get it done.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Your willpower to achieve the goal ought to stronger than any obstacle.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
Success is a steadily progress.
You can make steadily progress in all spheres of life.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
The divine force within you is mightier than any mountain.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
I will finish what I have began.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
The strength of being is divinity within the soul.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
You have the power to realise your dream. If only you are willing and determined.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Pearls of Wisdom: Great mind)
“
You must endure willingly for the fulfillment dreams
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
Willpower is like a muscle. It becomes fatigued with use, and after a fairly short period of time, it gives out.
”
”
Daniel Z. Lieberman (The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity―and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race)
“
This chapter’s punchline is that it’s impossible to successfully will yourself to have more willpower. And that it isn’t a great idea to run the world on the belief that people can and should.
”
”
Robert M. Sapolsky (Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will)
“
Everything I’ve previously attempted in my life was child’s play compared to this. The pathway I’m walking is not just riddled with all manner of uncertainty; it’s also excruciatingly difficult to follow through! How do I know this is the right path for me, when it’s been costing me every ounce of willpower just to stay on track? How do I tell what my purpose is?’
‘THIS is how you know it, Mario. This moment right here!’ Amanita had told him. ‘If the path you are walking feels back-breaking and steep, know you are climbing the Mountain of Purpose. The more you sacrifice on your journey, the more valuable its end reward.
”
”
Louise Blackwick (The Underworld Rhapsody)
“
The many Asian-American success stories have forced developmental psychologists to revise their theories about proper parenting. They used to warn against the “authoritarian” style, in which parents set rigid goals and enforced strict rules without much overt concern for the child’s feelings. Parents were advised to adopt a different style, called “authoritative,” in which they still set limits but gave more autonomy and paid more attention to the child’s desires. This warmer, more nurturing style was supposed to produce well-adjusted, selfconfident children who would do better academically and socially than those from authoritarian homes. But then, as Ruth Chao and other psychologists studied Asian-American families, they noticed that many of the parents set quite strict rules and goals. These immigrants, and often their children, too, considered their style of parenting to be a form of devotion, not oppression. Chinese-American parents were determined to instill self-control by following the Confucian concepts of chiao shun, which means “to train,” and guan, which means both “to govern” and “to love.” These parents might have seemed cold and rigid by American standards, but their children were flourishing both in and out of school. The
”
”
Roy F. Baumeister (Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength)
“
Sure, some people may be more self-disciplined than you. But it’s unlikely they were born with some certain special something inside them—instead, they’ve found ways to make decisions that don’t require willpower and determination.
”
”
Jeff Haden (The Motivation Myth: How High Achievers Really Set Themselves Up to Win)
“
Our ordinary method of dealing with ingrained sin is to launch a frontal attack. We rely on our willpower and determination. Whatever may be the issue for us--anger, fear, bitterness, gluttony, pride, lust, substance abuse--we determine never to do it again; we pray against it, fight against it, set our will against it. But the struggle is all in vain, and we find ourselves once again morally bankrupt or, worse yet, so proud of our external righteousness that "whitened sepulchers" is a mild description of our condition.
”
”
Richard J. Foster (Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth)
“
It's common to think of people in the military as conformists. But that's far from the truth in our community. Some pretty capable and colorful types join the SEAL teams, looking for bigger challenges than their high-flying careers or other interesting backgrounds can offer. Whether doctors, lawyers, longshoreman, college dropout, engineer or NCAA Division I superathlete, they were more than just good special operators. They were a cohesive team whose strength came from their widely diverse talents, educational backgrounds, upbringings, perspectives, and capabilities. They're all-American and patriotic, with a combination of practical intelligence and willpower that you don't want to get crossways with. Streetwise, innovative, adaptable, and often highly intellectual--these are all words that apply to the community. And the majority are so nice that it can be hard to envision their capacity for violent mayhem. BUD/S filters out four of five aspirants, leaving behind only the hardest and most determined--the best. I was so proud and humbled to be part of the brotherhood.
”
”
Marcus Luttrell (Service: A Navy SEAL at War)
“
Thus, it’s not free will or determinism. It’s not choice or environments. Instead, it is choice and environment. More directly, it is the choice of environment. You are responsible for shaping and choosing the environments that will ultimately shape the person you become and the destiny you have. Environmental design is your greatest responsibility. Choosing and shaping your environment is at the center of what “free will” really means, because your choice of environment and external influences will directly reflect in the person you become.
”
”
Benjamin P. Hardy (Willpower Doesn't Work: Discover the Hidden Keys to Success)
“
Defining your own truth and then living according to it ... changes your sense of self and sets you free; it makes you fearless -- or at least more courageous -- with every significant person in your life. When you're not so insecure, there are things -- offhand cruelties, insensitivities large and small -- you don't tolerate, things you don't have to deny.... Once you are the one who determines the meaning of your life, nobody can gainsay it. This act of self-assertive defiance immunizes you -- at least to a certain extent -- from ever allowing someone else to control your destiny ever again.
”
”
Jeanne Safer (The Golden Condom: And Other Essays on Love Lost and Found)
“
He racked his brains for a way of making his declaration. Torn all the while between fear of offending and shame at his own faint-heartedness, he wept tears of dejection and desire. Then he made forceful resolutions. He wrote letters, and tore them up; he gave himself a time limit, then extended it. Often he started out with a determination to dare all; but his decisiveness quickly deserted him in Emma's presence [...]
Emma, for her part, never questioned herself to find out whether she was in love with him. Love, she believed, must come suddenly, with thunder and lightning, a hurricane from on high that swoops down into your life and turns it topsy-turvy, snatches away your will-power like a leaf, hurls your heart and soul into the abyss. She did not know how on the terrace of a house the rain collects in pools when the gutters are choked; and she would have continued to feel quite safe had she not suddenly discovered a crack in the wall.
”
”
Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary)
“
Hope is not just an idea. Hope is not simply an emotion. It is far more than a feeling. It is not a wish or even an expectation. Hope is about goals, willpower, and pathways. A person with high hope has goals, the motivation to pursue them, and the determination to overcome obstacles and find pathways to achieve them.
”
”
Casey Gwinn (Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life)
“
Typically their parents, teachers, and others who recognized their strong potential and wanted to help them fulfill it would urge, cajole, and pressure them to exercise “willpower” to show the same strength, effort, and success in those other domains that could significantly improve their future options in life. Most often, those with ADHD joined in criticizing themselves for continuing failure to “just make myself do it.” Both the well-intentioned critics and the guilt-ridden criticized shared the erroneous assumption that symptoms of ADHD could be overcome with sufficient determination and continuing exercise of presumably available willpower.
”
”
Thomas E. Brown (Smart But Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD)
“
There can be no doubt that the chief fault we have developed, through the long course of human evolution, is a certain basic passivity. When provoked by challenges, human beings are magnificent. When life is quiet and even, we take the path of least resistance, and then wonder why we feel bored. A man who is determined and active doesn't pay much attention to 'luck'. If things go badly, he takes a deep breath and redoubles his effort. And he quickly discovers that his moments of deepest happiness often come after such efforts. The man who has become accustomed to a passive existence becomes preoccupied with 'luck'; it may become an obsession. When things go well, he is delighted and good humored; when they go badly, he becomes gloomy and petulant. He is unhappy—or dissatisfied—most of the time, for even when he has no cause for complaint, he feels that gratitude would be premature; things might go wrong at any moment; you can't really trust the world... Gambling is one basic response to this passivity, revealing the obsession with luck, the desire to make things happen.
The absurdity about this attitude is that we fail to recognize the active part we play in making life a pleasure. When my will is active, my whole mental and physical being works better, just as my digestion works better if I take exercise between meals. I gain an increasing feeling of control over my life, instead of the feeling of helplessness (what Sartre calls 'contingency') that comes from long periods of passivity. Yet even people who are intelligent enough to recognize this find the habit of passivity so deeply ingrained that they find themselves holding their breath when things go well, hoping fate will continue to be kind.
”
”
Colin Wilson (Strange Powers)
“
Who you are is defined by what you're willing to struggle for. People who enjoy the struggles of a gym are the ones who run triathlons and have chiseled abs and can benchpress a small house. People who enjoy long workweeks and the politics of the corporate ladder are the ones who fly to the top of it. People who enjoy the stresses and uncertainties of the starving artist lifestyle are ultimately the ones who live it and make it.This is not about willpower or grit. This is not another admonishment of "no pain, no gain." This is the most simple and basic component of life: our struggles determine our successes. Our problems birth our happiness, along with slightly better, slight upgraded problems.
”
”
Mark Manson (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life)
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Professional success is a goal that is in part a direct consequence of your personal convictions and values. Success also results from a combination of attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors. Hard work alone will not guarantee lasting success. To achieve long-term professional success, you also need to develop characteristics such as discipline, willpower, resilience, intelligence, creativity, courage, determination, and self-control.
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William Douglas (The 25 Biblical Laws of Success: Powerful Principles to Transform Your Career and Business)
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It should be clear by now that I believe mental imagery to be a key factor in determining mental toughness. In fact, your own perception of yourself will dictate all of your subsequent behaviors, as well as what you’ll get out of life. You can’t do anything without a lot of psychological stress, when this image isn’t aligned with the picture you have in your mind. This will largely be a consequence of your past programming and environmental experiences.
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Katherine Chambers (Mental Toughness: A Psychologist’s Guide to Becoming Psychologically Strong - Develop Resilience, Self-Discipline & Willpower on Demand (Psychology Self-Help Book 13))
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The Law of Self-sabotage Each of us has a particular way of looking at the world, of interpreting events and the actions of people around us. This is our attitude, and it determines much of what happens to us in life. If our attitude is essentially fearful, we see the negative in every circumstance. We stop ourselves from taking chances. We blame others for mistakes and fail to learn from them. If we feel hostile or suspicious, we make others feel such emotions in our presence. We sabotage our career and relationships by unconsciously creating the circumstances we fear the most. The human attitude, however, is malleable. By making our attitude more positive, open, and tolerant of other people, we can spark a different dynamic—we can learn from adversity, create opportunities out of nothing, and draw people to us. We must explore the limits of our willpower and how far it can take us. The Ultimate Freedom As a child, Anton Chekhov (1860–1904)—the future celebrated writer—faced each morning with a feeling of dread: would he be beaten that day by his father or somehow spared? Without
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Robert Greene (The Laws of Human Nature)
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Greatness needs courage (above all) and willpower, charisma, intelligence and creativity but it also demands characteristics that we often associate with the least admirable people: reckless risk-taking, brutal determination, sexual thrill-seeking, brazen showmanship, obsession close to fixation and something approaching insanity. In other words, the qualities required for greatness and wickedness, for heroism and monstrosity are not too far distant from each other. The Norwegians alone have a word for this: stormannsgalskap – the madness of great men.
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Simon Sebag Montefiore (Titans of History)
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I have asserted that Hobbes's psychological analysis of the human mind has no rational connection with his theory of the State. But it has, of course, an emotional connection; one can say that both doctrines belong naturally to the same temperament. Materialistic determinism and absolutist government fit into the same scheme of life. And this theory of the State shows the same lack of balance which is a general characteristic of philosophers after the Renaissance. Hobbes merely exaggerates one aspect of the good State. In doing so he developed a particularly lamentable theory of the relation between Church and State.
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T.S. Eliot (For Lancelot Andrewes: Essays Ancient & Modern)
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The biologist, who sees man as a balanced whole, and for whom muscles, bones, sinews and veins are as important as brains, can only look on, upset, as the destruction of all physical work and fitness continues. When Martti Ahtisaari entered the arena of Finnish politics, my biologist friend Olavi Hildén — a university professor over sixty yet still in great shape — became furious: “How could people even consider to choose him as our president? He can’t even walk properly: he just ambles along!”
If one has the patience to cool down, he will admit that charming personalities exist even among chubby people: many great things have been achieved from behind thick layers of fat. But still, it is frightening to see the presidential chair filled by someone who has completely allowed his willpower and discipline to slacken in one sphere of life. This is all the more unpleasant if we follow sociologists in believing that presidential victories are no longer determined by candidates’ ideals, but rather by the images of themselves that they project. Is the popularity of Ahtisaari due to the fact that he is perceived as a buddy by the typical Finnish male, feasting on beer and and sausages in his sauna, and that he reminds the typical Finnish female of her own pot-bellied companion?
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Pentti Linkola (Can Life Prevail?)