“First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do. For in nearly every pursuit we see this to be the case. Those in athletic pursuit first choose the sport they want, and then do that work.”
Epictetus, Discourses, The Daily Stoic (Page 136) | Read Matt’s Blog on this quote ➜
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12 Cal Newport Quotes from ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’
Excerpt: Follow your passion is bad advice. Read these powerful Cal Newport quotes from ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’ and find out why…
Read More »12 Cal Newport Quotes from ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’
“Character is a powerful defense in a world that would love to be able to seduce you, buy you, tempt you, and change you. If you know what you believe and why you believe it, you’ll avoid poisonous relationships, toxic jobs, fair-weather friends, and any number of ills that afflict people who haven’t thought through their deepest concerns.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 132)
“The more you try to force it, I learned, the less likely you are to succeed. True missions, it turns out, require two things. First you need career capital, which requires patience. Second, you need to be ceaselessly scanning your always-changing view of the adjacent possible in your field, looking for the next big idea. This requires a dedication to brainstorming and exposure to new ideas. Combined, these two commitments describe a lifestyle, not a series of steps that automatically spit out a mission when completed.”
Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You
“Compelling careers often have complex origins that reject the simple idea that all you have to do is follow your passion.”
Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You
“If your goal is to love what you do, you must first build up ‘career capital’ by mastering rare and valuable skills, and then cash in this capital for the traits that define great work.”
Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You
“If you want to love what you do, abandon the passion mindset (‘what can the world offer me?’) and instead adopt the craftsman mindset (‘what can I offer the world?’).”
Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You
“Respect for the vulnerability of human beings is a necessary part of telling the truth, because no truth will be wrested from a callous vision or callous handling.”
Anaïs Nin, via Sunbeams (Page 94)
“Looking at the beautiful expanse of the sky is an antidote to the nagging pettiness of earthly concerns. And it is good and sobering to lose yourself in that as often as you can.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 131)
“Gandhi said your power becomes invincible when you have reduced yourself to zero—which means, when you don’t want anything, when you have no more fear looking in the eyes of death, when you’re right here. Then your statement has the power of the universe behind it. It’s coming from a root place of truth, because there’s nothing in it for you. You don’t want anything. To me, that is the power of a Christ, or just one clear person who isn’t vulnerable. I don’t underestimate the power of the human heart. When I look at the human heart, that link, that doorway, I see an institution that makes the Pentagon look like a kids’ toys.”
Ram Dass, via Sunbeams (Page 93)