Beyond the Quote

Hans Hofmann Quote on Simplifying and How Complexity Is The Enemy of Execution

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Hans Hofmann

Beyond the Quote (297/365)

When given the choice between simple and complicated, choose simple. Simple doesn’t mean “easier” or “less valuable.” Simple just means that less is required. Less effort needs to be exerted. Less steps need to be taken. Less thought is required. It essentially minimizes the size of the hurdle that needs to be cleared in order for the task to be completed. And in order to maximize the chances of a task being completed, simplicity is one of the most significant playing factors.

“Nothing out there will ever satisfy you except temporarily and superficially, but you may need to experience many disillusionments before you realize that truth. Things and conditions can give you pleasure, but they will also give you pain. Things and conditions can give you pleasure, but they cannot give you joy. Nothing can give you joy. Joy is uncaused and arises from within as the joy of Being.”
Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now (Page 187)

Beyond the Quote (294/365)

Where’s your “happy place?” You know, the place you go to “escape” or maybe “find your bliss?” The beach? The mountains? A cabin in the woods? Here’s the thing, if the answer to those questions is anywhere outside of yourself, then you’re handicapping yourself. Your happiness is handicapped. Your bliss is handicapped. And your inner peace is handicapped.

These people gon’ tell you that you will never make it /
Then when you do, they gon’ say they knew you were goin’ places /
That’s just how it works, next thing you know you’ll be overrated /
Hearing people say they miss the “old you,” it’s crazy, ain’t it?
NF, Remember This

Beyond the Quote (293/365)

It doesn’t matter where you are in life, there will always be noise that’s trying to take you away from where you are. When you’re first starting out, of course you’re not great. Who is? In fact, you probably suck. Like, you’re probably really awful. Especially compared to all of the greats that you’re probably comparing yourself to. So, of course you’re going to have people around you saying you will “never make it.” That you should probably quit and stick to something more “commonplace.” Or that you will never be as good as that person or this person. The noise when you first start out is real and it can stop you in your tracks before you ever even start.

“Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling, but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just… Start.”
Unknown

Beyond the Quote (292/365)

What makes you think starting later is going to be any better than starting now? What makes you think the fear or pain or doubt or trembling won’t be there later just as much (if not more) than it is now? What makes you think starting is ever going to be easier? How about we call your desire to do later that which you could do now what it actually is: procrastination.

“Don’t chase, don’t beg, don’t stress, don’t be desperate, just relax. When you relax it will come to you. Make your wants, want you.”
Unknown

Beyond the Quote (291/365)

What happens when you relax? You release. You let go of held tension both in the body and the mind. Or, maybe better said, in the mind and then in the body. For, the body is but a puppet of the mind. And in order for the mind to relax what needs to happen? Well, you have to ease your mind away from the regrets of the past and the anxieties of the future and connect to the now. How else can you be truly relaxed if you’re preoccupied thinking and worrying about the past and future? It is only when you are utterly present that you can be truly relaxed. Isn’t it so?

“Love has nothing to do with someone else. It is all about you. It is a way of being. It essentially means you have brought sweetness into your emotion. If a loved one travels to another country, would you still be able to love them? You would. If a loved one passed away, would you still be able to love them? You would. Even if a loved one is not physically with you anymore, you are still capable of being loving. So, what is love then? It is just your own quality. You are only using the other person as a key to open up what is already within you.”
Sadhguru, Inner Engineering (Page 65)

Beyond the Quote (290/365)

Why is it that our love gets locked behind a door that needs opening? Why is it that we aren’t able to open up to what is already within us on our own, intuitively, and without prompting? Why is love seen only (or perhaps primarily) as being a product of something that happens in a relationship between two people? For, as Sadhguru points out above, love has nothing to do with anyone else—it has only to do with you. And if that’s true and if love is a way of being, then where might we have lost our way? Why might we have stored our love away behind a locked door? Shouldn’t “sweetness into our emotion” be the default and most enjoyable state that beats any of the alternatives?

“It not knowing what to do, it’s doing what you know.”
Tony Robbins

Beyond the Quote (286/365)

While common sense is common (although some might argue), common sense is not common practice. I find it to be true more and more every day that what we are lacking in the world isn’t more solutions. Solutions are plentiful. What we’re lacking is execution of solutions. What we’re lacking is people’s ability to choose to do what’s hard over what’s convenient and expedient. What we’re lacking is the will, work ethic, and wherewithal required to bring the viable solutions that have already been thought up, to life—to our lives. Or is there more to it than just that?

“You must be ruthless with your time. Learn to say no. Having the courage to say no to the little things in life will give you the power to say yes to the big things. Shut the door to your office when you need a few hours to work on that big case. Don’t pick up the phone every time it rings. It is there for your convenience, not the convenience of others. Ironically, people will respect you more when they see that you are a person who values his time. They will realize that your time is precious and they will value it.”
Robin S. Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

Beyond the Quote (285/365)

The first thing you need to figure out is which things are “small” and which things are “big.” If you don’t know the hierarchy of your tasks, how can you prioritize? How can you know what to say “no” to and what to say “yes” to if you don’t know where anything stands as matters of importance? Let’s take a closer look at how you might figure it out.

Should Trust Be Earned Not Given, or Given Not Earned?

Excerpt: Unpopular opinion: I believe that trust should be given, not earned. Most people model their relationships off of the inverse. Read on and weigh in.

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”
Herbert Simon, via Stillness is the Key (Page 30)

Beyond the Quote (280/365)

The vast majority of the information that we use to process the world comes in through our eyes. Next most is through our ears. It follows, then, that where our eyes are pointed will determine where the majority of the information that we’ll obtain will come from. If our eyes are pointed at another person, the majority of the information that we’ll end up taking in will come from what we see while looking at that person. And the same is true if our eyes are pointed at a screen, at the road while we’re driving, at a stranger passing us down the street, etc. Eyes communicate priority.

“Many people think that patience is a sign of weakness. I think this is a mistake. It is anger that is a sign of weakness, whereas patience is a sign of strength.”
The Dalai Lama

Beyond the Quote (279/365)

Patience is a sign of a strong, well controlled inner emotional climate. A climate that can be maintained independently of what’s happening on the outside. A climate that can be controlled, manipulated, and adjusted only by the person themself. A climate that nobody else can control, manipulate, or adjust even if they wanted or tried to. It is a sign of strength, self-understanding, and balance. But how to get there?

“Contentment had been there for the grasping, if only I had recognized it. Probably it’s there for you. The elders would tell you to grab it while you can, not agitate for something better. They don’t have time for delusions, including the delusion that you have time. They’re too busy loving like there’s no tomorrow, because for any of us, there might not be.”
John Leland, Happiness is a Choice You Make (Page 85)

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Contentment is here. It’s right here for you and I to grasp. Of this I am sure. It is not a matter of whether it’s there or not for you, but a matter of whether or not you can see it. Whether or not you can recognize it. Whether or not you even know what you’re looking for or how to grasp it.

“Do you think human creativity matters? Well, most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about poetry, right? They have a life to live and they’re really not that concerned with Allen Ginsberg’s poems or anyone’s poems—until, their father dies; they go to a funeral; you lose a child; someone breaks your heart. And all of a sudden you’re desperate for making sense out of this life. ‘Has anybody felt this bad before? How did they come out of this cloud?’ Or the inverse—something great. You meet somebody and your heart explodes—you love them so much you can’t even see straight. You’re dizzy. ‘Did anybody feel like this before? What is happening to me?’ And that’s when art’s not a luxury—it’s actually sustenance. We need it.”
Ethan Hawke, TED

Beyond the Quote (276/365)

Has anybody felt as bad as you might be feeling? Yes. And worse. How did they come out of that cloud? They wrote about it. Talked about it. Created something with it. They expressed it. Connected with other people about it. And many of them left it there for people, like you, to find and possibly connect with, too. Have you found what they left for you? Or have you been distracted? Have you even tried to search or are you too busy not looking? Human creativity—art—is the sustenance we need to nourish our souls.

“Problems never stop; they merely get exchanged and/or upgraded.”
Mark Manson, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

Beyond the Quote (274/365)

Let’s be clear: the goal shouldn’t be to live a problem-free life. There is no such thing as a problem free life. How could it be? The very act of staying alive and healthy is a forever shape-shifting landscape of compiling problems that confront us afresh every minute of every day. So, what is the goal then?

Sadio Mané Quote on Luxury and How He Choses To Give Back From What He's Been Given

“Why would I want ten Ferraris, 20 diamond watches and two jet planes? What would that do for the world? I starved, I worked in the fields, I played barefoot, and I didn’t go to school. Now I can help people. I prefer to build schools and give poor people food or clothing. I have built schools [and] a stadium; we provide clothes, shoes, and food for people in extreme poverty. In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people from a very poor Senegalese region in order to contribute to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips, and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me.”
Sadio Mané

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What an incredibly refreshing perspective coming from one of the worlds premier soccer players whose net worth is upwards of $15 million. Mané is someone who made it out from intense poverty-stricken conditions and could easily choose to live a life of luxury and riches that I’m sure he dreamed of when he was starving, working the fields, or playing barefoot as a young boy. But, he hasn’t forgotten his roots and he chooses instead to live his life giving back “a little of what life has given him.” But, “a little” doesn’t feel, to me, to be the right choice of words.

“Desire is a contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want.”
Naval Ravikant, Medium

Beyond the Quote (272/365)

How many contracts of unhappiness have you signed? And how lengthy are the terms for each? Is the contract of your desire going to take you a week to obtain? A month? 12 months? 48 months? 72 months? Or is the contract you signed more like a 30 year mortgage? Are you really okay with being unhappy for that amount of time? …For any amount of time? And for what? A fancy car? A luxury watch? A playboy mansion? How much of your life are you willing to sacrifice for these things?

“We are born on our own /
And we die on our own /
And we’re here to make meaning /
Of what happens in between /
We could hate, we could love /
We could doubt, we could trust /
But we’re here to make meaning /
For as long as we’re breathing and it’s alright /
Wherever you are, it’s alright /
Whoever you are, it’s alright”
Alicia Keys, Authors of Forever, ALICIA

Beyond the Quote (271/365)

Word choice matters. And with the opening concept of meaning in this above quote, I think Alicia nails it: We’re here to make meaning. We’re not here to find meaning. And I don’t think we’re here to mean nothing. Why be given life if we’re not meant to live? Why be given brains if we’re not meant to think? Why be given eyes if we’re not meant to see? Why be given hands if we’re not meant to touch? Why be given feet if we’re not meant to move? We’re certainly not born just to die—what’s the point in believing that? We’re born on our own, yes, but we’re not alone and we’re not born without what we need to make meaning—of that I’m sure.

“Tim Ferriss always seems to ask the best questions: What would this look like if it were easy? How will you know if you don’t experiment? What would less be like? The one that hit me the hardest, when I was maybe 25, was, ‘What do you do with your money?’ My answer at the time was ‘Nothing, really.’ Okay, so why try so hard to earn lots more of it?”
Ryan Holiday, Medium

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The first and last questions listed above were the ones that hit me the hardest: “What would this look like if it were easy?” and “What do you do with your money?” The thing about asking better questions is that they lead to better answers. When you can become the person who asks “the best questions” then you’ll inevitably start getting the best answers—answers that never occur to most people because their minds aren’t even looking in the right places. And the people with the best answers are the ones who almost always get the best results.

“As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets clearer and clearer.”
Rumi

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Once it happened where a presenter was having technical difficulties with his presentation. The projector wasn’t connecting to the computer properly and the slideshow that he prepared wouldn’t show. As the time was ticking off the clock for his allotted slot, he decided to spontaneously fill the time with an exercise. He asked everybody to turn to the person next to them and ask them to finish the following statement: “I am…”

“Steve Kamb, the founder of Nerd Fitness, told me that the best and most polite excuse is just to say you have a rule. ‘I have a rule that I don’t decide on the phone.’ ‘I have a rule that I don’t accept gifts.’ ‘I have a rule that I don’t speak for free anymore.’ ‘I have a rule that I am home for bath time with the kids every night.’ People respect rules, and they accept that it’s not you rejecting the offer, request, demand, or opportunity, but the rule allows you no choice.”
Ryan Holiday, Medium

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I have a rule that I don’t eat meat or dairy. I have a rule that I don’t drink alcohol. I have a rule that I don’t do drugs. I have a rule that I only borrow on credit cards what I can pay back at the end of each month. I have a rule that every day I do something for personal growth and something selfless for others. These rules define how I live my life and are undoubtedly some of the best and most polite tools I have to continue living my life this way.

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Beyond the Quote

Hans Hofmann Quote on Simplifying and How Complexity Is The Enemy of Execution

Beyond the Quote (297/365)

Eckhart Tolle Quote on Joy and How Your Frequent Desire To Travel Might Be Limiting The Joy You Feel

Beyond the Quote (294/365)

NF Quote from “Remember This” on Success and How There’s Always Hate At Each Step of the Way

Beyond the Quote (293/365)

Quote on Starting Where You Are With What You Have—Even With Fear, Pain, and Doubt.

Beyond the Quote (292/365)

Quote on Making Your Wants Want You and How Relaxing Helps Make That Happen

Beyond the Quote (291/365)

Sadhguru Quote on Love and How It Has Nothing To Do With Someone Else

Beyond the Quote (290/365)

Tony Robbins Quote on Doing What You Know Because Knowing What To Do Isn’t Enough

Beyond the Quote (286/365)

Robin Sharma Quote on Time Management and Prioritizing More Of What’s Important

Beyond the Quote (285/365)

Should Trust Be Earned Not Given, or Given Not Earned?

Herbert Simon Quote on Attention and How Eyes Communicate Priority

Beyond the Quote (280/365)

The Dalai Lama on Patience and How Maintaining Emotional Balance is a Sign Of Strength

Beyond the Quote (279/365)

John Leland Quote on Contentment and Why You Should Grab It While You Can

Beyond the Quote (278/365)

Ethan Hawke Quote on Art and Why Human Creativity Matters

Beyond the Quote (276/365)

Mark Manson Quote on Problems and How A Problem-Free Life Should Never Be The Goal

Beyond the Quote (274/365)

Sadio Mané Quote on Luxury and How He Choses To Give Back From What He’s Been Given

Beyond the Quote (273/365)

Naval Ravikant Quote on Desire and How It Works Against Your Pursuit of Happiness

Beyond the Quote (272/365)

Alicia Keys Quote from Authors of Forever on Making Meaning—Not Finding It.

Beyond the Quote (271/365)

Ryan Holiday Quote on Questions and How The Best Questions Lead To The Best Answers

Beyond the Quote (269/365)

Rumi Quote on Living in the Heart and How The Words That Follow “I Am” Follow You.

Beyond the Quote (267/365)

Ryan Holiday Quote on Rules and How They Are The Best and Most Polite Excuse To Living Your Best Life

Beyond the Quote (266/365)