“
Anything which is physically possible can always be made financially possible; money is a bugaboo of small minds.
”
”
Robert A. Heinlein (The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress)
“
In life hard times will befall you that will create doubt in yourself, and life will ask questions of the authenticity of the person you are. Carrying the lotus means being true to yourself and in the realization that you were always meant to grow above this mud. We are meant to grow, progress, and evolve in this relentless environment of the World and through it all achieve happiness with grace in letting go. Carry the Lotus within; grow and rise above from the harsh and remorseless world beneath you.
”
”
Forrest Curran (Purple Buddha Project: Purple Book of Self-Love)
“
Pour on, I will endure.
”
”
William Shakespeare
“
During your struggle society is not a bunch of flowers, it is a bunch of cactus.
”
”
Amit Kalantri (Wealth of Words)
“
I am accountable for every lie that I tell, but I am also accountable for the effects of every harsh truth I deliver.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year)
“
People who see themselves as “good” are much more likely to do “evil” things. This is because believing you are the “good guy” allows you to define your actions as good because you are the one doing them. This is why many successful cultures frame humans as intrinsically wretched. It can seem harsh to raise a child to believe deeply in their own wretchedness, but doing so helps them remember to always second-guess themselves by remembering their lesser, selfishly motivated instincts. Instincts that run counter to your morality and values have every bit as much access to your intelligence as “the better angels” of your consciousness and will use your own knowledge and wit to justify their whims. You can’t outreason your worst impulses without stacking the deck in your favor. Coming from a culture that anticipates bad impulses and steels you against them can do that. That said, cultures will no doubt develop different, less harsh mechanisms for achieving the same outcome.
”
”
Simone Collins (The Pragmatist’s Guide to Crafting Religion: A playbook for sculpting cultures that overcome demographic collapse & facilitate long-term human flourishing (The Pragmatist's Guide))
“
Is there anything more harsh in this life than to be misjudged, and have one’s motives entirely misunderstood?
”
”
Maeve Binchy (Circle of Friends)
“
The night I shaved it off altogether, a Staff named Mark, whose take-no-prisoners approach I respected and feared, pulled me aside, looked me hard in the face, and said, Marya, your hair. I said, Yeah, so? crossing my arms in front of me. He said, It’s harsh. I said, Yeah, well. He leaned down and whispered to me: No matter how thin you get, no matter how short you cut your hair, it’s still going to be you underneath. And he let go of my arm and walked down the hall. I didn’t want it to be me underneath. I wanted to kill the me underneath. The fact haunted my days and nights. When you realize you hate yourself so much, when you realize that you cannot stand who you are, and this deep spite has been the motivation behind your behaviour for many years, your brain can’t quite deal with it.
”
”
Marya Hornbacher (Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia)
“
It's not harsh to be assertive, its harsher when people take advantage of you
”
”
Janna Cachola
“
Narcissists are precisely that: careless.
They barrel through life, using relationships and people as objects, tools, and folly. While they often seem as if they are cruel or harsh, that is in fact giving them too much credit. They are simply careless. And they do expect other people to clean up their messes.
But carelessness is cruel. Frankly, the motivation for their behavior does not matter; what matters is the outcome. And that outcome is damage to other people’s well-being, hopes, aspirations, and lives. Carelessness captures it, but it is not an excuse.
”
”
Ramani Durvasula (Should I Stay or Should I Go?: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist)
“
You’re awesome, remember that.” She continued, harsh and bitter. “Who cares what anyone says about you? And they will talk shit. People are going to verbally destroy you, plaster your image all over the Net, say hateful things about you as if they’re fact, and you need to be indifferent. Got that? You don’t give a shit. About anything.” She removed her grip from his chin. “Why?”
“Because I am awesome.
”
”
Jesikah Sundin (Elements (The Biodome Chronicles #2))
“
Each day, we face 100 types of negative thoughts and situations that try to poison our minds and break our confidence. However, when we start to see these negative thoughts in a positive way, we never face failure from that day on.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
Resolutely ignoring Banu's dark mutterings, steeling herself against the barrage of harsh words that questioned her motives, her upbringing, and her morality
”
”
Thrity Umrigar (The Space Between Us)
“
A relationship with expectations dies before you die, and a relationship without expectations lives even after you die.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
It takes no time to give up on good things and habits, but to keep doing them without breaking consistency takes a long time to build that rare, great lifestyle.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
Maintain control over your thoughts and emotions when it comes to short-term love or temptation. It could potentially derail your long-term happiness and path to a successful life.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
Don't let your brain rust due to your comfort zone. Step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself with hard work and dedication to enhance the flow of knowledge.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
Never forget you are the successful product of a harsh universe; the simple fact that you exist, whence trillions of other organisms do not, is a mathematical miracle.
”
”
Matt Parker
“
Struggle is a synonym for a successful life. Never give up on living a successful life
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
To achieve resilience, we have to change our inner critic to an inner ally, and move from self-harshness to self-kindness.
”
”
Gail Gazelle, MD (Everyday Resilience: A Practical Guide to Build Inner Strength and Weather Life's Challenges)
“
If you are working consistently and it is your duty, then do not pass your work onto others for short periods of relaxation. Taking short breaks can decrease your dedication and consistency towards your duties.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
The Laws of Healing Through Pain:
1. Do not regret telling your deepest secrets to evil ears.
2. Do not regret exposing your deepest wound to the eyes of one million snakes.
3. Do not regret revealing your shame to broken mirrors.
4. Vulnerability is ought to be temporary. But, regret will bind you to it on a permanent basis.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
Never allow anyone or anything to demise or dull your truest identity. Hurtful words and harsh judgments have no impact when your north star, your guiding light, shines from the center of your chest and beats from your own truest heart.
”
”
Toni Sorenson (The Great Brain Cleanse)
“
We feel the ground slipping from beneath our feet, and we want to hold on and stay in control. And so we organize and define (that is, put limits around) what first moved freely within us, flowed out of us, and motivated our action. We also dismiss, with varying degrees of harshness, what does not fit into the pattern we so painstakingly created for our God experience.
”
”
Barbara Fiand
“
I can choose not to get angry.
I can choose not to take offense.
I can choose not to dwell on criticism.
I can choose to pay no heed to harsh words.
I can choose to ignore negativity and see positives.
I can choose to value my own opinion over those of naysayers.
Through it all, I can retain my good character and choose to be kind.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year)
“
When harsh winds blow harder strong birds soar higher.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Most times, the best thing people deserve from us is our silence.speak through silence and it will be more powerful than harsh words
”
”
Ernest Agyemang Yeboah (Distinctive Footprints Of Life: where are you heading towards?)
“
Thank God who delivered us from harsh labour.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita
“
Sometimes you need to experience harsh losses before you find healing.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
In harsh times, and as a last resort, cry yourself out. Express your desperation.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
Realism is wisdom to use power true to life. Self-doubt will only hold you back from pursuing your dreams, and the harsh realities of life will only humble your self-importance.” ~Tunde Salami
”
”
Tunde Salami
“
Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
”
”
Atticus Aristotle (Success and Happiness - Quotes to Motivate Inspire & Live by)
“
If you are
Harsh
Overcritical,
Pessimistic,
Exacting,
Lowering,
Eruptive,
Sarcastic,
Scornful,
then the souls you touch will feel HOPELESS.
If you are
Happy,
Optimistic,
Positive,
Encouraging,
Friendly,
Uplifting,
Loving,
then the souls you touch will feel HOPEFUL.
”
”
Richelle E. Goodrich (Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year)
“
… one of the strongest motives that lead men to art and science is flight from everyday life with its painful harshness and wretched dreariness, and from the fetters of one’s own shifting desires. A person with a finer sensibility is driven to escape from personal existence and to the world of objective observing (Schauen) and understanding. This motive can be compared with the longing that irresistibly pulls the town-dweller away from his noisy, cramped quarters and toward the silent, high mountains, where the eye ranges freely through the still, pure air and traces the calm contours that seem to be made for eternity.
”
”
Ilya Prigogine (Order Out of Chaos: Man's New Dialogue with Nature (Radical Thinkers))
“
When mothers or fathers use harsh criticism as a means to keep their kids out of trouble (“don’t be so stupid or you’ll get run over by a car”), or to improve their behavior (“you’ll never get into college if you keep getting such pathetic grades”), children assume that criticism is a useful and necessary motivational tool. As comedian Phyllis Diller notes, “We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.” Unsurprisingly, research shows that individuals who grow up with highly critical parents in childhood are much more likely to be critical toward themselves as adults.
”
”
Kristin Neff (Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself)
“
The average span of a human generation is twenty-five years. Any reward occurring beyond this generational horizon creates an imbalance that undermines long-term cooperation. In short, we as a species are motivated to betray our own descendants. In my view, the only possible solution is the institution of harsh and immediate punishments for those who would be unfaithful to the future.
”
”
Daniel H. Wilson (The Andromeda Evolution (Andromeda #2))
“
We judge ourselves by our internal motives and everyone else by their external actions. And thus, in considering our own misdeeds, we have more access to mitigating situational information. This is straight out of Us Them. When Thems do something wrong, it's because they're simply rotten. When Us-es do it, it's because of an extenuating circumstance and Me is the most focal Us there is, coming with the most insight into internal state. Thus on this cognitive level, there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy and we might readily perceive a wrong to be mitigated by internal motives in the case of anyone's misdeeds. It's just easier to know those motives when we are the perpetrator. The adverse consequences of this are wide and deep. Moreover, the pull towards judging yourself less harshly than others easily resists the rationality of deterrence. As Ariely writes in his book, 'Overall, cheating is not limited by risk; it is limited by our ability to rationalize the cheating to ourselves.
”
”
Robert M. Sapolsky
“
What is the denunciation with which we are charged? It is endeavoring, in our faltering human speech, to declare the enormity of the sin of making merchandise of men,—of separating husband and wife,—taking the infant from its mother, and selling the daughter to prostitution,—of a professedly Christian nation denying, by statute, the Bible to every sixth man and woman of its population, and making it illegal for ‘two or three’ to meet together, except a white man be present! What is this harsh criticism of motives with which we are charged?
”
”
Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Wench)
“
Get that pitying look off your face,' Eris snarled softly. 'I know what sort of creature my father is. I don't need your sympathy.'
Cassian again studied him. 'Why did you leave Mor in the woods that day?' It was the question that would always remain. 'Was it just to impress your father?'
Eris barked a laugh, harsh and empty. 'Why does it still matter to all of you so much?'
'Because she's my sister, and I love her.'
'I didn't realise Illyrians were in the habit of fucking their sisters.'
Cassian growled. 'It still matters,' he ground out, 'because it doesn't add up. You know what a monster your father is and want to usurp him; you act against him in the best interests of not only the Autumn Court but also all of the faerie lands; you risk your life to ally with us... and yet you left her in the woods. Is it guilt that motivates all of this? Because you left her to suffer and die?'
Golden flame simmered in Eris's gaze. 'I didn't realise I'd be facing another interrogation so soon.'
'Give me a damn answer.'
Eris crossed his arms, then winced. As if whatever injuries lay beneath his immaculate clothes ached. 'You're not the person I want to explain myself to.'
'I doubt Mor will want to listen.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4))
“
But as a Puerto Rican woman, she belonged to not one but two minority groups. New research suggests that her double minority status may have amplified the costs and the benefits of speaking up. Management researcher Ashleigh Rosette, who is African American, noticed that she was treated differently when she led assertively than were both white women and black men. Working with colleagues, she found that double minority group members faced double jeopardy. When black women failed, they were evaluated much more harshly than black men and white leaders of both sexes. They didn’t fit the stereotype of leaders as black or as female, and they shouldered an unfair share of the blame for mistakes. For double minorities, Rosette’s team pointed out, failure is not an option. Interestingly, though, Rosette and her colleagues found that when black women acted dominantly, they didn’t face the same penalties as white women and black men. As double minorities, black women defy categories. Because people don’t know which stereotypes to apply to them, they have greater flexibility to act “black” or “female” without violating stereotypes. But this only holds true when there’s clear evidence of their competence. For minority-group members, it’s particularly important to earn status before exercising power. By quietly advancing the agenda of putting intelligence online as part of her job, Carmen Medina was able to build up successes without attracting too much attention. “I was able to fly under the radar,” she says. “Nobody really noticed what I was doing, and I was making headway by iterating to make us more of a publish-when-ready organization. It was almost like a backyard experiment. I pretty much proceeded unfettered.” Once Medina had accumulated enough wins, she started speaking up again—and this time, people were ready to listen. Rosette has discovered that when women climb to the top and it’s clear that they’re in the driver’s seat, people recognize that since they’ve overcome prejudice and double standards, they must be unusually motivated and talented. But what happens when voice falls on deaf ears?
”
”
Adam M. Grant (Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World)
“
It is remarkable how I am never quite clear about the motives for any of my decisions. Is that a sign of confusion, of inner dishonesty, or is it a sign that we are guided without our knowing, or is it both? . . . Today the reading speaks dreadfully harshly of God’s incorruptible judgement. He certainly sees how much personal feeling, how much anxiety there is in today’s decision, however brave it may seem. The reasons one gives for an action to others and to one’s self are certainly inadequate. One can give a reason for everything. In the last resort one acts from a level which remains hidden from us. So one can only ask God to judge us and to forgive us. . . . At the end of the day I can only ask God to give a merciful judgement on today and all its decisions. It is now in his hand.
”
”
Eric Metaxas (Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy)
“
People who see themselves as “good” are much more likely to do “evil” things. This is because believing you are the “good guy” allows you to define your actions as good because you are the one doing them. This is why many successful cultures frame humans as intrinsically wretched. It can seem harsh to raise a child to believe deeply in their own wretchedness, but doing so helps them remember to always second-guess themselves by remembering their lesser, selfishly motivated instincts. Instincts that run counter to your morality and values have every bit as much access to your intelligence as “the better angels” of your consciousness and will use your own knowledge and wit to justify their whims. You can’t outreason your worst impulses without stacking the deck in your favor. Coming from a culture that anticipates bad impulses and steels you against them can do that. That said, cultures will no doubt develop different, less harsh mechanisms for achieving the same outcome.
”
”
Malcolm Collins (The Pragmatist's Guide to Governance: From high school cliques to boards, family offices, and nations: A guide to optimizing governance models)
“
He spent the morning at the beach. He had no idea which one, just some open stretch of coastline reaching out to the sea. An unbroken mantle of soft grey clouds was sitting low over the water. Only on the horizon was there a glimmer of light, a faint blue band of promise. The beach was deserted, not another soul on the vast, wide expanse of sand that stretched out in front of him. Having come from the city, it never ceased to amaze Jejeune that you could be that alone in the world. He walked along the beach, feeling the satisfying softness as the sand gave way beneath his slow deliberate strides. He ventured as close to the tide line as he dared, the white noise of the waves breaking on the shingles. A set of paw prints ran along the sand, with an unbroken line in between. A small dog, dragging a stick in its mouth. Always the detective, even if, these days, he wasn’t a very good one.
Jejeune’s path became blocked by a narrow tidal creek carrying its silty cargo out to the sea. On each side of it were shallow lagoons and rock pools. When the tide washed in they would teem with new life, but at the moment they looked barren and empty. Jejeune looked inland, back to where the dark smudge of Corsican pines marked the edge of the coast road. He traced the creek’s sinuous course back to where it emerged from a tidal salt flat, and watched the water for a long time as it eddied and churned, meeting the incoming tide in an erotic swirl of water, the fresh intermingling with the salty in a turbulent, roiling dance, until it was no longer possible to tell one from the other.
He looked out at the sea, at the motion, the color, the light. A Black-headed Gull swooped in and settled on a piece of driftwood a few feet away. Picture complete, thought Jejeune. For him, a landscape by itself, no matter how beautiful, seemed an empty thing. It needed a flicker of life, a tiny quiver of existence, to validate it, to confirm that other living things found a home here, too.
Side by side, they looked out over the sea, the man and the bird, two beating hearts in this otherwise empty landscape, with no connection beyond their desire to be here, at this time. Was it the birds that attracted him to places like this, he wondered, or the solitude, the absence of demands, of expectations? But if Jejeune was unsure of his own motives, he knew this bird would have a purpose in being here. Nature always had her reasons.
He chanced a sidelong glance at the bird, now settled to his presence. It had already completed its summer molt, crisp clean feathers having replaced the ones abraded by the harsh demands of eking out a living on this wild, windswept coastline. The gull stayed for a long moment, allowing Jejeune to rest his eyes softly, unthreateningly, upon it. And then, as if deciding it had allowed him enough time to appreciate its beauty, the bird spread its wings and effortlessly lifted off, wheeling on the invisible air currents, drifting away over the sea toward the horizon.
p. 282-3
”
”
Steve Burrows (A Siege of Bitterns (Birder Murder Mystery, #1))
“
The basic foundation of the practice of morality is to refrain from ten unwholesome actions: three pertaining to the body, four pertaining to speech, and three pertaining to thought. The three physical non-virtues are: (1) killing: intentionally taking the life of a living being, whether a human being, an animal, or even an insect; (2) stealing: taking possession of another’s property without his or her consent, regardless of its value; and (3) sexual misconduct: committing adultery. The four verbal non-virtues are: (4) lying: deceiving others through spoken word or gesture; (5) divisiveness: creating dissension by causing those in agreement to disagree or those in disagreement to disagree further; (6) harsh speech: verbally abusing others; and (7) senseless speech: talking about foolish things motivated by desire and so forth. The three mental non-virtues are: (8) covetousness: desiring to possess something that belongs to someone else; (9) harmful intent: wishing to injure others, whether in a great or small way; and (10) wrong view: holding that such things as rebirth, the law of cause and effect, or the Three Jewels8 do not exist.
”
”
Dalai Lama XIV (The World of Tibetan Buddhism: An Overview of Its Philosophy and Practice)
“
Reduce Self-Criticism
Reducing self-criticism is a critical part of reducing rumination. Self-criticism is a fuel source for your rumination fire. People use self-criticism to try to encourage themselves to do better in the future. For example, someone might ruminate after overeating or if she perceives she has mucked up a social situation, and then mentally beat herself up about her mistakes. However, harsh self-criticism doesn’t help you move forward because it isn’t a very effective motivational tool, especially if you’re already ruminating.
People who are in a pattern of trying to use self-criticism as motivation often fear that reducing it will make them lazy. It won’t. In fact, giving yourself a compassionate rather than a critical message will often lead to working harder. For example, one study showed that people who took a hard test and got a compassionate message afterward were willing to study longer for a future similar test, compared to a group of people who took the same test but didn’t get a compassionate message.
Giving yourself a simple “don’t be too hard on yourself” message will propel you toward taking useful problem-solving steps. Acknowledging the emotions you’re feeling (such as embarrassed, disappointed, upset) and then giving yourself compassion will lead to your making better choices than criticizing yourself will. Self-compassion will give you the clear mental space you need to make good decisions.
Experiment: To practice using self-compassion as an alternative to self-criticism, try the following three-minute writing exercise.
There are two versions of this exercise—one that involves thinking about a past mistake and another that involves thinking about something you perceive as a major weakness. Identify a mistake or weakness that you want to focus on, and then write for three minutes using the following instructions: “Imagine that you are talking to yourself about this weakness (or mistake) from a compassionate and understanding perspective. What would you say?”
Try this experiment now, or store it away for a future situation in which you find yourself ruminating about a mistake or weakness. This experiment comes from the same series of research studies as the one involving the hard test mentioned earlier. Note that the study participants didn’t receive training in how to write compassionate messages. What they naturally came up with in response to the prompt worked.
”
”
Alice Boyes (The Anxiety Toolkit: Strategies for Fine-Tuning Your Mind and Moving Past Your Stuck Points)
“
Make your motivations secret to the enemy, fool them into false planning, use their force against them, lead them onto harsh ground, hold true to the beliefs of your followers, and show them the ways they may become like you. Lead by example.
”
”
Mercedes Lackey (The Black Gryphon (Valdemar: Mage Wars, #1))
“
Winter is harsh so spring can be pleasant.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Ironically, harsh self-criticism seems to create an inner rebelliousness that makes us want to give up on our healthy goals. Self-compassion acknowledges the reality that it’s an unhealthy moment, not an unhealthy life, and you have a choice what the next moment is going to be. And it motivates you to make a healthy, compassionate choice.
”
”
Melanie Greenberg (The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity)
“
Harsh winters precede pleasant springs.
”
”
Matshona Dhliwayo
“
Be fearless in the chase of your dream.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
If it is indeed human nature to seek social relationships, then why would someone choose not to socialize? As we discussed in the first chapter, fear is usually the motivating factor that causes people to avoid socializing. We fear failing, being rejected, being humiliated, being made to feel that we don’t belong. This fear is commonly referred to as performance anxiety. How does performance anxiety interfere with a fulfilling, productive life? When you fear being judged harshly by others, you may hesitate to take risks that could ultimately benefit you, whether personally (such as asking someone out) or professionally (applying for a new job).
”
”
Jonathan Berent (Beyond Shyness: How to Conquer Social Anxieties)
“
Parents who refuse to adopt the responsibility for disciplining their children think they can just opt out of the conflict necessary for proper child-rearing. They avoid being the bad guy (in the short term). But they do not at all rescue or protect their children from fear and pain. Quite the contrary: the judgmental and uncaring broader social world will mete out conflict and punishment far greater than that which would have been delivered by an awake parent. You can discipline your children, or you can turn that responsibility over to the harsh, uncaring judgmental world—and the motivation for the latter decision should never be confused with love.
”
”
Jordan B. Peterson (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos)
“
For many, the traditional motivations of job security, money rewards, and opportunity for personal advancement are proving insufficient. Large numbers of those we hire find factory life so distasteful they quit after only brief exposure to it. The general increase in real wage levels in our economy has afforded more alternatives for satisfying economic needs. Because they are unfamiliar with the harsh economic facts of earlier years, [new workers] have little regard for the consequences if they take a day or two off . . . the traditional work ethic—the concept that hard work is a virtue and a duty—will undergo additional erosion.
”
”
George Goodman (Supermoney (Wiley Investment Classics Book 38))
“
As I near the end of all of that and think back on what I’ve learned, these are the ten principles that strike me as necessary to true leadership. I hope they’ll serve you as well as they’ve served me. Optimism. One of the most important qualities of a good leader is optimism, a pragmatic enthusiasm for what can be achieved. Even in the face of difficult choices and less than ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism. Simply put, people are not motivated or energized by pessimists. Courage. The foundation of risk-taking is courage, and in ever-changing, disrupted businesses, risk-taking is essential, innovation is vital, and true innovation occurs only when people have courage. This is true of acquisitions, investments, and capital allocations, and it particularly applies to creative decisions. Fear of failure destroys creativity. Focus. Allocating time, energy, and resources to the strategies, problems, and projects that are of highest importance and value is extremely important, and it’s imperative to communicate your priorities clearly and often. Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can and should be made in a timely way. Leaders must encourage a diversity of opinion balanced with the need to make and implement decisions. Chronic indecision is not only inefficient and counterproductive, but it is deeply corrosive to morale. Curiosity. A deep and abiding curiosity enables the discovery of new people, places, and ideas, as well as an awareness and an understanding of the marketplace and its changing dynamics. The path to innovation begins with curiosity. Fairness. Strong leadership embodies the fair and decent treatment of people. Empathy is essential, as is accessibility. People committing honest mistakes deserve second chances, and judging people too harshly generates fear and anxiety, which discourage communication and innovation. Nothing is worse to an organization than a culture of fear. Thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness is one of the most underrated elements of good leadership. It is the process of gaining knowledge, so an opinion rendered or decision made is more credible and more likely to be correct. It’s simply about taking the time to develop informed opinions. Authenticity. Be genuine. Be honest. Don’t fake anything. Truth and authenticity breed respect and trust. The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. This doesn’t mean perfectionism at all costs, but it does mean a refusal to accept mediocrity or make excuses for something being “good enough.” If you believe that something can be made better, put in the effort to do it. If you’re in the business of making things, be in the business of making things great. Integrity. Nothing is more important than the quality and integrity of an organization’s people and its product. A company’s success depends on setting high ethical standards for all things, big and small. Another way of saying this is: The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
”
”
Robert Iger (The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company)
“
Make it a point to avoid harsh or injurious words or gestures to anybody, even if that person is very close to you
”
”
Dr Purushothaman Kollam
“
Kim Dokja x Hansooyoung PART 1
[I shall kill you, Yoo Joonghyuk.] ~ Kim Dokja pg 4110
46. ⸢(Looks like you still don't know how it works. The heroine loses her
consciousness, her hand falling away. And the male hero awakens! You
see, in all the movies I've seen so far…) pg 4112
47. These idiots, I even died so that you two could talk to each other, but this…'
She figured that she really needed to give these two men a harsh earful
when she arrived there. But, when she pushed past the bushes and stepped
forward, the ensuing spectacle freaked her out in a rather grand manner.
Kwa-aaang!! Bang!!!
Yoo Joonghyuk was mercilessly slamming his sword down on Kim Dokja,
currently sprawled out on the ground.
"Hey!! You crazy son of a bitch!!" pg 4125
48. There were plenty of things she wanted to ask, but she chose not to. Instead,
she poked Kim Dokja's cheek and spoke up. "Still, this guy looks like he
got completely fooled, doesn't he."
"Looks that way."
"How did it go?"
"He went crazy and attacked me."
Han Sooyoung smirked and lightly pinched Kim Dokja's cheek as if she
was proud of him. pg 4127
49. the events of her dying at Yoo Joonghyuk's sword, me fighting against him,
and then, passing out from his attack, and finally, sharing a conversation
with Yoo Sangah inside the Library…
Han Sooyoung approached the bed before I noticed it and pinched my
cheek.
"In any case, Kim Dokja. You can be really adorable sometimes." pg 4144
50. The moment Han Sooyoung's fist bumped into mine, she was completely
enveloped in bright light. As I watched her figure disappear, I became
aware once more that she had become my companion for real. pg 4165
51. ⸢And…⸥
My heart began powerfully pounding away.
⸢The woman that I used to love.⸥
pg 4189
52. Her emotionless eyes; the beauty spot just below one of them; and her lips
that always mocked me for fun, now arching up in a smooth line.
"Proceed with the execution pg 4191
53. "But, should you be doing something like that? She's originally your bride,
isn't she?"
"Correction. She was supposed to be one. The throne was usurped on the
first day of the wedding, however."
Oh, I see. So, it's that sort of development? I felt just a bit relieved now.
Han Sooyoung and Yoo Joonghyuk as a couple?
hadn't allowed any dating at the workplace yet, so hell no. pg 4202
54. ⸢By the time you're reading this book, I…⸥
I steeled my heart and read the next line of the text.
⸢…I'd still be living a pretty good life, I guess. Hahah, were you scared?⸥
This idiot… pg 4212
55. The following words were eerily similar to a certain body of text that I was
familiar with.
⸢The you reading this story will definitely make it out of here alive.⸥
Han Sooyoung's afterwords came to an end there. For the longest time, I
couldn't tear my eyes away from the full-stop at the end of the sentencepg4216
56. "Looks like the
company's internal rules need to be changed somewhat…" pg 4234
57. She spoke in a fed-up tone of voice. And then, issued an order to me.
"Marry me, Ricardo Von Kaizenix." pg 4244
58. "I didn't want to extend her 50 years by even one minute if I could help
it." I was being serious here.
The moment I arrived in this world and realized that Han Sooyoung had to
spend 50 years here, I just couldn't escape from this one overwhelming
emotion.
Someone was sacrificed again because of me.
Han Sooyoung who had to endure the time frame of 50 years – could she
still maintain a normal, functioning mind?
Was she able to maintain the ego of the Han Sooyoung that I know of?pg4254
59. Her palm smacked me in the back of the head again.
God damn it, this punk…
"The third method, 'Romance'."
"And its contents are?"
"Marry Yuri di Aristel."
"And just what did you choose?"
"The third method?"
"And are we currently married?"
"Nope."
"And why the hell not?!" pg 4256
”
”
shing shong (OMNISCIENT READER'S VIEWPOINT (light novel vol2))
“
Gurus don’t use anger, harsh words, or fear to inspire their students. They realize that fear is a good motivator in the short term but over the long term it erodes trust. Criticism is lazy communication. It’s not constructive, compassionate, or collaborative. Look for ways to communicate so that the other person can consume, digest, and apply your input effectively. Offer them a “love sandwich” where you deliver a piece of constructive criticism between two tasty slices of positive feedback.
”
”
Jay Shetty (8 Rules of Love: How to Find It, Keep It, and Let It Go)
“
They came from peasant backgrounds, had hated the Japanese colonization of Korea, and believed that the Americans and their proxies in Seoul were agents of the past, not enablers of the future; the Americans were now the allies of the Japanese, as well as the old Korean ruling class, and thus this was a continuation of the struggle that had forced them to leave their native soil years earlier. The leadership of the South Korean Army was in their minds a reflection of those Koreans who had fought alongside the Japanese, and in the upper-level ranks this was often true. The North Koreans troops had trained hard and were extremely well disciplined and motivated. They camouflaged themselves exceptionally well, stayed off the roads, and often moved over the harsh terrain by foot, as the Americans did not. Like the Chinese Communists who had trained them and with whom they had fought, they tended to avoid all-
”
”
David Halberstam (The Coldest Winter)
“
You are the director, producer, cameraman, hero, heroine, comedian, etc. You are everything. You don't need anyone to make your life; build your life yourself. Just look inside you and give a title to your film. m
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
Someone once told me to always live for 5 am sunrises and 5 pm sunsets, where you'll see colors in the sky that usually don't belong. Live for the road trips and bike rides, with music in ears and wind in hair. Live for the days when you're surrounded by your favorite people who make you realize that the world is not a cold, harsh place. Live for the little things.
”
”
Life is Positive
“
For some, love becomes their only saving grace. So, never use harsh judgement against those who chase it.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
As a parent, you may sometimes react in frustration, wanting to break his will or mete out some severe punishment in order to bring him down a notch and make him more docile. But even Father Hock back in the early 1930s recognized that much care must be taken not to cause the choleric to become hardened and embittered by harsh and punitive discipline: [B]y hard, proud treatment the choleric is not improved, but embittered and hardened; whereas even a very proud choleric can easily be influenced by reasonable suggestions and supernatural motives . . . it is absolutely necessary to remain calm and to allow the choleric to “cool off” and then to persuade him to accept guidance in order to correct his faults. . . .11
”
”
Art Bennett (The Temperament God Gave Your Kids: Motivate, Discipline, and Love Your Children)
“
Do not use either harsh words or negative words. They only bring sadness and weaken the soul.
”
”
Lailah Gifty Akita (Think Great: Be Great! (Beautiful Quotes, #1))
“
When he entered the anteroom, two women looked up at him. One was Miss Robertson, the governor's secretary; the other he did not recognize till she smiled and said his name in a gentle voice. She was Mrs. Freeman, the wife of the bishop; he saluted her and went to Miss Robertson.
'Will you tell them I'm here?' he said.
'I'm sorry, Mr. Haffner, they don't even want me to take minutes right now.'
'Well, just go tell them I'm out of the running.'
There was not so much as a flicker in her eyes. 'They locked the door,' she said, 'and besides, I don't think they'll accept your withdrawal.'
'Won't they though. Just give them my message, Miss Robertson. I'm leaving.'
'Oh, Mr. Haffner, I know they'll want to see you. It's very important.'
'They will, huh. I'll give them half an hour.'
He sat down beside her to talk. It was not that he liked Miss Robertson particularly. Her soul had been for a long time smoothed out and hobbled by girdles and high heels as her body; her personality was as blank and brown as her gabardine suit; her mind was exactly good enough to take down 140 any sort of words a minute without error, without boredom, without wincing. But she could talk idly in a bare room like this well enough; he remembered that she liked science-fiction; he drew her out. Besides, she was not Mrs. Freeman. Mrs. Freeman was a good woman; that is, she did good, and did not resent those who did bad but pitied them. For example, now: she was knitting alone while the other two talked, neither trying to join them nor, as John actively knew, making them uncomfortable for not having included her; and she was waiting for the bishop, who for reasons no one understood, hated to drive at night without her. John liked good people—no, he respected them above everyone else, above the powerful or beautiful or rich, whom he knew well, the gifted or learned or even the wise; indeed, he was rather in awe of the good, but their actual sweet presence made him uncomfortable. Mrs. Freeman there: with her hair drawn back straight to a bun, she sat in a steel-tube, leatherette chair, against a beige, fire-resistant, sound-absorbent wall, knitting in that ambient, indirect light socks for the mad; he knew quite well that if he should go over beside her she would talk with him in her gentle voice about whatever he wished to talk about, that she would have firm views which, however, she would never declare harshly against his should they differ, that she would tell him, if he asked about her work with the insane, what she had accomplished and what failed to accomplish, that she would make him acutely uncomfortable. He felt himself deficient not to be living, as people like Mrs. Freeman seemed to live, in an altogether moral world, but more especially he was reluctant to come near such people because he did not want to know more than he could help knowing of their motives; he did not trust motives; he was a lawyer. Therefore, though it was all but rude of him, he sat with Miss Robertson till the door opened.
”
”
George P. Elliott (Hour of Last Things)
“
Jesus, the gospel should be all the motivation I need for living as a compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient man—especially when I consider this is how you relate to me 24/7, in full view of my ill-deserving ways. I’ll never experience you as insensitive, unkind, proud, harsh, or impatient. Indeed, through the gospel, I’ve become a member of God’s chosen, holy, dearly loved people. Yet it does take more: sometimes it takes pain. Today is just such a day. As I pray, I’m hurting big-time. Today it will be easier for me to clothe myself with compassion than with cotton. Yesterday afternoon I forgot that exercising at the gym doesn’t qualify me to be a refrigerator mover. But as I hurt, I’m moved to pray today for chronic sufferers—those who cry, “How long, O Lord?” for better reasons and with more tears than I have. Jesus, I pray for people with unrelenting pain in their bodies—those who no longer get any relief from physical therapy or medication. I pray for people with emotional and mental diseases, who live in the cruel world of delusional thinking and sabotaging emotions. I pray for their families and caregivers. I pray for the unconscionable number of children in the world who are suffering from hunger and malnutrition and for their parents who feel both shame and helplessness. Lord, these and many more stories of great suffering I bring before you. I also pray for the worst chronic suffering of all: for those who are “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world” (Eph. 2:12 NIV). Come, Holy Spirit, come, and apply the saving benefits of Jesus to the religious and the nonreligious alike—to those who may be in the church or in the culture but who are not in Christ. Jesus, I anticipate getting over this back pain pretty soon, but I don’t want to get over compassionate praying and compassionate living. I pray in your kind and caring name. Amen.
”
”
Scotty Smith (Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith)
“
seek a way or MAKE one.
Seek Success, not Popularity. It lasts longer.
Short cuts to success are none. Efforts only can achieve success.
Some call it Obsession I call it Dedication.
starting point of all achievement is desire.
Staying positive will win you Victory, positively.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Difficult roads always end up in beautiful DESTINATION.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
How productive you are under pressures determines your POTENTIAL
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Examine your self-talk.
Never speak to yourself
more harshly than you would
to a small child.
”
”
Domonique Bertolucci (The Happiness Code: Ten Keys to Being the Best You Can Be)
“
Art - in all of its forms - is not exclusive. It does not belong to any class, cast or country. Its matchless ability to express the most basic human impulses is only strengthened by its universality. It transcends language and culture, bridges social and political chasms and nurtures a collective understanding. It engenders hope, rebuilds self-respect and restores humanity. Art is a motivator, a force of empowerment and a source of support for people of all races, nationalities, ages, economic situations and genders. It is ageless, timeless and breaks through many barriers. Art brings strength to those who lack confidence, wish for a mental escape from harsh environments or who seek to restore happiness and hope in times of great need.” Artfully AWARE 5
”
”
Artfully Aware (The Story of the Acholi - A Village Tale from Uganda (Artfully AWARE Storybook Book 1))
“
Students should be told, how to think, not what to think.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Flowers wither away when put through harsh conditions. Humans, on the other hand, have a choice. A choice to wither away or blossom.
”
”
karan godara
“
A book can transform your life and add new dimensions to the way you think.
”
”
Scholar Talks
“
A mind that is determined to succeed can never fail to achieve.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Age never matters when there is a will to learn more will to learn better.!!
Always remember, every success story begins with a START.!!
Anyone can desire but there are few who DESERVE.!!
Anyone can desire, be the one who DESERVE.!!
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Dreams are to be chased not to be kept in the memories.
”
”
Harsh Malik
“
Kemmer is not always played by pairs. Pairing seems to be the commonest custom, but in the kemmerhouses of towns and cities, groups may form and intercourse take place promiscuously among the males and females of the group. The furthest extreme from this practice is the custom of vowing kemmering (Karh. oskyommer), which is to all intents and purposes monogamous marriage. It has no legal status, but socially and ethically is an ancient and vigorous institution. The whole structure of the Karhidish Clan-Hearths and Domains is indubitably based upon the institution of monogamous marriage. I am not sure of divorce rules in general; here in Osnoriner there is divorce, but no remarriage after either divorce or the partner’s death: one can only vow kemmering once. Descent of course is reckoned, all over Gethen, from the mother, the “parent in the flesh” (Karh. amha). Incest is permitted, with various restrictions, between siblings, even the full siblings of a vowed-kemmering pair. Siblings are not however allowed to vow kemmering, nor keep kemmering after the birth of a child to one of the pair. Incest between generations is strictly forbidden (In Karhide/Orgoreyn; but is said to be permitted among the tribesmen of Perunter, the Antarctic Continent. This may be slander.). What else have I learned for certain? That seems to sum it up. There is one feature of this anomalous arrangement that might have adaptive value. Since coitus takes place only during the period of fertility, the chance of conception is high, as with all mammals that have an estrous cycle. In harsh conditions where infant mortality is great, a race survival value may be indicated. At present neither infant mortality nor the birthrate runs high in the civilized areas of Gethen. Tinibossol estimates a population of not over 100 million on the Three Continents, and considers it to have been stable for at least a millennium. Ritual and ethical absention and the use of contraceptive drugs seem to have played the major part in maintaining this stability. There are aspects of ambisexuality that we have only glimpsed or guessed at, and which we may never grasp entirely. The kemmer phenomenon fascinates all of us Investigators, of course. It fascinates us, but it rules the Gethenians, dominates them. The structure of their societies, the management of their industry, agriculture, commerce, the size of their settlements, the subjects of their stories, everything is shaped to fit the somer-kemmer cycle. Everybody has his holiday once a month; no one, whatever his position, is obliged or forced to work when in kemmer. No one is barred from the kemmerhouse, however poor or strange. Everything gives way before the recurring torment and festivity of passion. This is easy for us to understand. What is very hard for us to understand is that, four-fifths of the time, these people are not sexually motivated at all. Room is made for sex, plenty of room; but a room, as it were, apart. The society of Gethen, in its daily functioning and in its continuity, is without sex. Consider:
”
”
Ursula K. Le Guin (The Left Hand of Darkness)
“
Those that dream, those that have been dreaming, one day you shall ascend to your place of destiny.Possibilities are limitless even if you face harsh and gloomy moments. Uplift your spirit , hope and works to greater heights and you shall sit on top of unknown heights looking down at the bottom. Do not deprive your self to succeed.
”
”
Tare Munzara
“
Libby tried to scramble down, but the hem of her dress became snagged in the wheel axle and her urgent tugs did nothing to free it. In an instant Michael was by her side, leaning across her and pulling the trapped muslin free. Libby’s eyes widened in horror as his two hands encompassed her waist and she was bodily lifted from the cart and set on the cobblestone street as gently as if she were made of porcelain. “Get your hands off my daughter.” She startled at the venom in her father’s voice and scurried toward the house, but she was no match for Michael’s long-legged stride as he caught up with her at the base of the porch. Didn’t he realize that he was making the situation worse? Michael looked her father directly in the eye. “Mr. Sawyer—” “Professor Sawyer.” “Professor Sawyer,” Michael amended. “Your daughter has been very gracious. Her knowledge of the plants in the area is astounding.” “Her foolishness is astounding! And I ought to have you arrested . . . taking liberties with a mental deficient too stupid to know your motives.” Libby flinched at the fury in her father’s voice and heat gathered in her cheeks. Michael’s brows lowered and he moved to stand between her and the professor. “My English is not perfect and I do not understand what you just called your daughter, but I understand the tone,” Michael said calmly. “You have cause to resent me, but Libby does not deserve to be the target of your anger. I will not leave her in a house where she may be treated harshly.
”
”
Elizabeth Camden (The Rose of Winslow Street)
“
Nothing lasts forever, even the hardships of life they too fade away with time, but what makes them hard is to have patience and not to loose hope
”
”
Harsh vyas
“
The words you hold back today can prevent the wounds of tomorrow.
”
”
Priyanshi Ranawat
“
Nature has taken a deep autumnal breath, and with gusting sighs of relief has shed away the year’s heft that’s now in the rear view. Tumbling away with strewn leaves are the remnants of days gone by. Storms have been weathered, dry spells overcome, and harsh winds survived, nature is now moving forward stronger. With newly sown seeds hope is laying dormant ready to forge ahead in the ethereal sunlight, come spring. Not loosing a beat, but rising back up rejoining the rhythm and restarting the journey. A beautiful lesson in resilience at play.
”
”
Marie Helen Abramyan
“
If you are bound by fear, then you will never achieve success in life. Become fearless like a lion and free yourself from all fears, as fear is the only thing holding you back from being a winner.
”
”
Harsh Suthar
“
When Christ is your Team Captain, you can count on a winning strategy for life’s most important games.
Even now, the Lord is saying to you, ‘I will help you manage your stress, endure your struggles, and meet your challenges with courage. I will help you deal with life’s harsh realities, overcome your obstacle
”
”
Carlton U. Forbes (A Few Choice Words: A Collection of Inspirational and Motivational Discourses)
“
Climb That Mountain (Poem)
***
There is a mountain placed before us.
It's wide, big; high above the clouds.
With no way around it;
no choice about it.
Just to climb it,
even through low sighs.
Some mountains, we choose.
Often those that we pursue
are easy to climb.
They leave no bruise;
we step on them like crumbs.
No sweat, no fuse.
But also no valuable lesson.
Just an excuse after an excuse.
There are harsh sessions on the high mountain.
Hard lessons on the big mountain.
No breaks, no fountains.
Just hardships and rough times.
No awards, no rewards.
Just emotional, mental tides and fines.
Fine, we usually accept the challenge.
Out of options, we welcome the change.
An exchange of comfort for caution.
We become deranged for family.
For our children, friends, even lovers.
Some lovers who may become an enemy.
We become a destiny with no back covers.
With our back against the wall.
Our back totally exposed to all.
But, step by step,
day by day,
with our veins, we climb up but not in vain.
Some days we want to go back to our fortress.
Some days we only see black, no success.
But, after a while, mounting in grime,
we forget about the pain.
The hardships start to fade.
We start to familiarise the pain with the trees.
We accept the bushes and rocks as home.
We follow the footsteps of animals and bees;
looking for shortcuts to roam.
Seeking solace in the shade of what we see.
We seek and become one with isolation.
In isolation, we start to rely on ourselves more.
We learn to love all our sores;
to trust our own instincts.
We become stronger and sharper in senses.
And the stronger we become,
the faster we mount in fun.
In the end, we reach the top.
Out of it all,
we come out unbreakable, alive.
Tired but, surely, revived.
”
”
Mitta Xinindlu
“
Your experience is your's to experience. Don't let that rosy picture, or a harsh critique distort that.
”
”
Ashutosh Joshi
“
Despite the carving out of Pakistan (and what is now Bangladesh) in the name of political Islam, and the secessionist insurgency seen in Kashmir due to similar motivations, so-called secular India did not adopt common personal laws. This happened even though Nehru changed, and rightly so, the Hindu personal laws by passing the Hindu code bills in 1955–1956. While the Hindu laws were made progressive, Muslim laws were left untouched.
”
”
Harsh Gupta 'Madhusudan' (A New Idea of India: Individual Rights in a Civilisational State)
“
Nothing exposes the harsh reality of life better than truth, nothing exposes the beauty of life better than love.
”
”
Wayne Chirisa
“
sometimes the teacher we find most puzzling, harsh, and intimidating—who seems almost an enemy to us—is the one who in fact displays true kindness by not indulging our weaknesses and self-centered preferences. Of course, only if we are superior—having sufficiently strong and correct motivation—will we be able to endure practicing under such a person.
”
”
Meido Moore (The Rinzai Zen Way: A Guide to Practice)
“
It’s hard to tell. Who is alive? Who is dead? We all look same here. We all are stung, harshly stung by life. However, we’ve to survive and we’ll survive.
”
”
Bhuwan Thapaliya
“
In the middle of the road, I found my father
Father was not a biological father but a true father
Father has chosen me to be his son
Son that was lost for many years. Days and nights
Nights were harsh enough and were full of hunger
Hunger from food, security, and hugs
Hugs were seldom because there were no Parents
Parents Exist
”
”
Isaac Nash (PARENTS EXIST)
“
Life’s trials
What does he live for?
There are many reasons,
Numberless beliefs, many impulses, that he could die for,
His life’s mottos his life’s reasons,
That he lives for and would easily die for,
For he believes in them all,
They bring him joy he always longed for,
So, he strives not for himself but for these reasons all,
Every night and every day, he toils through the life’s way,
On barren patches where you need strong reasons to keep walking,
Because sometimes when days are darker than the darkest nights, one may forget his way,
Until he has a good reason to carry on anyway and believe in the day and in his walking,
He often comes across moments with no richness of feelings,
And in this feelingless landscape of life, he questions life’s harshness,
And as he is overcome by life’s trials and their cussed feelings,
He summons these reasons to deal with life and its harshness,
He is a great inverter I suppose,
Because he always invents a new reason to live,
Everyday he is in this state of relentless strife, and about it I no more suppose,
Because he has proven it, otherwise how could someone with a life that feels lifeless, so well live,
He struggles, he falls, he waivers, he faces life’s repudiations,
But he carries on, for he has a reason to believe in and someone’s love to live for,
So, the villains of time and fate may have connived against him, along with life’s repudiations,
But none of them matter, because he has a reason to live for and someone’s love to die for,
How far will life go in his case and be villainous,
Only life knows, and fate maybe,
But his reasons of life and love of someone, enable him to deal with life’s moments villainous,
He will live forever maybe, because when he dies life will be left all alone, without any reasons; maybe,
And as long as he has reasons new everyday,
To live and deal with whatever comes his way,
Life shall envy him although it tries him in new ways everyday,
But he toils everyday in his own unique way,
This is what life seeks to know; how?
Maybe he is built differently by providence that gifted him endless reasons to live,
But the life is keen to know how,
And the answer is simple: Through her memories and her love, he finds the fountain of reasons to deal with life and to live!
”
”
Javid Ahmad Tak (They Loved in 2075!)
“
Ah. But you say that because you’re a linguist, and you can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to wallow in the sheer beauty of language.” Szpindel harrumphed with mock pomposity. “Now me, I’m a biologist, so it makes perfect sense.” “Really. Then explain it to me, oh wise and powerful mutilator of frogs.” “Simple. Bloodsucker’s a transient, not a resident.” “What are— Oh, those are killer whales, right? Whistle dialects.” “I said forget the language. Think about the lifestyle. Residents are fish-eaters, eh? They hang out in big groups, don’t move around much, talk all the time.” I heard a whisper of motion, imagined Szpindel leaning in and laying a hand on Michelle’s arm. I imagined the sensors in his gloves telling him what she felt like. “Transients, now—they eat mammals. Seals, sea lions, smart prey. Smart enough to take cover when they hear a fluke slap or a click train. So transients are sneaky, eh? Hunt in small groups, range all over the place, keep their mouths shut so nobody hears ’em coming.” “And Jukka’s a transient.” “Man’s instincts tell him to keep quiet around prey. Every time he opens his mouth, every time he lets us see him, he’s fighting his own brain stem. Maybe we shouldn’t be too harsh on the ol’ guy just because he’s not the world’s best motivational speaker, eh?
”
”
Peter Watts (Blindsight (Firefall, #1))
“
Dear Mistakes
I love you for reminding me that I am human and that I should be kind to myself.
I thank you for the lessons you've taught me; some were harsh, but I get it.
I'm actually looking forward to my next mistake. I'll just make sure they are not the same mistakes; I'm a little wiser now.
I know that repeating the same mistake will make me look foolish, and mama did not raise a fool.
So, thank you, and I love you.
”
”
Marion Bekoe
“
Harsh words spoken to you must not depict the end of your dreams. Use those words to energize you into doing something great. In life, champions are those who are not afraid to fly high, regardless of any attempt to pull them down.
”
”
Gift Gugu Mona (The Extensive Philosophy of Life: Daily Quotes)
“
Then, the American War of Independence began in 1775. After more than a century and a half of unbridled expansion, the Indians saw the writing on the wall, so to speak, of American nationhood. They recognized that if the colonies were free from the governance of Great Britain, it was very likely that the new government—in whatever form it would take—would take even more harsh tactics against the native nations. Remember, American independence was predicated on the belief that the colonists were no longer English subjects and that they owned the land on which they lived and worked. In addition, the southern colonies had grown more and more dependent on slave labor. In tandem, their ideas on racially-based superiority had become more concrete and inflexible. These belief systems left no room for indigenous people or native nationhood and sovereignty. Therefore, many Indian nations decided to fight alongside the British in the Revolutionary War, believing that to be their best chance at survival. Of course, the colonists who would become the founding generation of the United States of America did not see the nuance in this decision. Instead, they believed that the Indians who sided with the British desired to live under a tyrannical monarchy. They viewed it as further evidence of their supposed backwardness rather than a decision for their own survival. Regardless of their motivations, after the colonies achieved independence, the allegiance of the native peoples was simply one more reason to dispossess them of their land and dismantle their way of life.
”
”
Hourly History (Red Cloud's War: A History from Beginning to End (Native American History))
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Optimism. One of the most important qualities of a good leader is optimism, a pragmatic enthusiasm for what can be achieved. Even in the face of difficult choices and less than ideal outcomes, an optimistic leader does not yield to pessimism. Simply put, people are not motivated or energized by pessimists. Courage. The foundation of risk-taking is courage, and in ever-changing, disrupted businesses, risk-taking is essential, innovation is vital, and true innovation occurs only when people have courage. This is true of acquisitions, investments, and capital allocations, and it particularly applies to creative decisions. Fear of failure destroys creativity. Focus. Allocating time, energy, and resources to the strategies, problems, and projects that are of highest importance and value is extremely important, and it’s imperative to communicate your priorities clearly and often. Decisiveness. All decisions, no matter how difficult, can and should be made in a timely way. Leaders must encourage a diversity of opinion balanced with the need to make and implement decisions. Chronic indecision is not only inefficient and counterproductive, but it is deeply corrosive to morale. Curiosity. A deep and abiding curiosity enables the discovery of new people, places, and ideas, as well as an awareness and an understanding of the marketplace and its changing dynamics. The path to innovation begins with curiosity. Fairness. Strong leadership embodies the fair and decent treatment of people. Empathy is essential, as is accessibility. People committing honest mistakes deserve second chances, and judging people too harshly generates fear and anxiety, which discourage communication and innovation. Nothing is worse to an organization than a culture of fear. Thoughtfulness. Thoughtfulness is one of the most underrated elements of good leadership. It is the process of gaining knowledge, so an opinion rendered or decision made is more credible and more likely to be correct. It’s simply about taking the time to develop informed opinions. Authenticity. Be genuine. Be honest. Don’t fake anything. Truth and authenticity breed respect and trust. The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. This doesn’t mean perfectionism at all costs, but it does mean a refusal to accept mediocrity or make excuses for something being “good enough.” If you believe that something can be made better, put in the effort to do it. If you’re in the business of making things, be in the business of making things great. Integrity. Nothing is more important than the quality and integrity of an organization’s people and its product. A company’s success depends on setting high ethical standards for all things, big and small. Another way of saying this is: The way you do anything is the way you do everything.
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Robert Iger (The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company)
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Having a team of people with an employee mindset means you have to cater for employees. But people with an entrepreneurial mindset can wear different hats and tackle problems creatively. They will help you run your business instead of just doing whatever they’re told so they can get their paycheque. I suggest screening out anyone who shows signs of dependency. It may sound harsh, but you’ll end up with a far more motivated, productive workforce and better results
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James Schramko (Work Less, Make More: The counter-intuitive approach to building a profitable business, and a life you actually love)
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I don’t have a hostile disposition toward humankind per se. In fact, I feel quite warmly toward humankind. It’s individual humans I have trouble with. I’m prone to a certain skepticism about people’s motives and character, and this critical appraisal can harden into enduringly harsh judgment.
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Robert Wright (Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment)
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A kind word can sometimes make one feel warm all their lives. A harsh word, on the other hand, can breed a lifetime of hatred. It can ruin one's marriage and one's family.
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Master Jun Hong Lu