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Anne Lamott Quote on Unplugging and the Reality of Burnout

    “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… Including you.”

    Anne Lamott

    Beyond the Quote (114/365)

    Following through on a commitment is something that you can choose to do or choose not to do. Burning out is something that happens—it’s not something that you can choose against. When there’s no more gas in the car, you can’t choose to magically have more gas with the snap of your fingers—you need a gas station for that. When there’s no more battery juice left in your phone, you can’t choose to boost your battery life with positive thinking—you need a charging cable for that. When there’s no more energy left inside you—mental, physical, or emotional—you can’t demand more energy to appear through even the most disciplined thinking—you need rest, recover, and self-care for that.

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    Seth Godin Quote on Making The Decision To Excel

      “The universal truth is beyond question – the only people who excel are those who have decided to do so.” ~ Seth Godin

      Beyond the Quote (36/365)

      Excelling is optional.  And so is the opposite.  The path of least resistance is the path most people decide to follow.  Why wouldn’t that be the case?  Naturally, we are lazy creatures.  We’re wired to conserve energy—both by expending less (moving less) and storing more (fat on your body)—so that we don’t starve to death if we can’t get more food.  These were critical adaptations that were made over the course of our existence as humans that kept us alive during harsh periods of existence.

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      Leo Babauta Quote on Not Making Exceptions—Ever

        “Exceptions lead to more exceptions. It’s really easy to justify not doing [a] new habit (or doing an old habit you’re trying to quit) by saying, ‘Just one time won’t hurt.’ Except that it will, because now you think it’s OK to make exceptions. And now you don’t really trust yourself to stick to your promise to yourself. It’s much more effective to not make exceptions — catch yourself if you’re thinking about it and trying to justify it, and remember your motivations. When I quit smoking, I told myself Not One Puff Ever (NOPE).”

        Leo Babauta, Zen Habits

        Beyond the Quote (Day 6)

        The habit changes that I have had the most success with incorporating into my lifestyle have been the ones that I have been the most strict with myself about.  When I started drinking coffee black, I told myself No Cream or Sugar Ever.  When I cut out donuts from my diet, I told myself Not One Bite Ever.  When I stopped drinking alcohol, I told myself Not One Sip Ever.  When I committed to going vegan, I told myself No Meat or Dairy Ever.  Like Babauta, I made sure there were no exceptions or ‘gray-areas’ to these habit changes—and while that might sound harsh and intense, I actually feel like it made the habit change process easier.

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          “Commitment gives you freedom because you’re no longer distracted by the unimportant and frivolous.  Commitment gives you freedom because it hones your attention and focus, directing them toward what is most efficient at making you healthy and happy.  Commitment makes decision-making easier and removes any fear of missing out; knowing that what you already have is good enough, why would you ever stress about chasing more, more, more again? Commitment allows you to focus intently on a few highly important goals and achieve a greater degree of success than you otherwise would.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

            “While investing deeply in one person, one place, one job, one activity might deny us the breadth of experience we’d like, pursuing a breadth of experience denies us the opportunity to experience the rewards of depth of experience.  There are some experiences that you can have only when you’ve lived in the same place for five years, when you’ve been with the same person for over a decade, when you’ve been working on the same skill or craft for half your lifetime.  Now that I’m in my thirties, I can finally recognize that commitment, in its own way, offers a wealth of opportunity and experiences that would otherwise never be available to me, no matter where I went or what I did.” ~ Mark Mason, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

              “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other.”

              Mario Puzo

                “Loyalty isn’t grey. It’s black and white. You’re either loyal completely, or not loyal at all.” ~ Sharnay

                  “Loyalty cannot be blueprinted. It cannot be produced on an assembly line. In fact, it cannot be manufactured at all, for its origin is the human heart — the center of self-respect and human dignity. It is a force which leaps into being only when conditions are exactly right for it — and it is a force very sensitive to betrayal.” ~ Maurice Franks

                    “I have a loyalty that runs in my bloodstream, when I lock into someone or something, you can’t get me away from it because I commit that thoroughly. That’s in friendship, that’s a deal, that’s a commitment. Don’t give me paper – I can get the same lawyer who drew it up to break it. But if you shake my hand, that’s for life.” ~ Jerry Lewis

                      “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

                        “I believe that life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve.” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                          “No one ever achieved a goal by being interested in its achievement.  One must be committed.  In fact, in studying the source of people’s success, I’ve found that persistence overshadows even talent as the most valued and effective resource in creating and shaping the quality of life. Most people give up a maddening five feet from their goal!” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                            “Remember: courage, unused, diminishes. Commitment, unexercised, wanes. Love, unshared, dissipates.” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                              “While others were out partying, I was training. While they were out dancing at the clubs, I was training… and training… and training.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

                                “When you’re interested in something, you do it only when it’s convenient. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” ~ Ken Blanchard

                                  “Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day. What you promise today must be renewed and redecided tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you. ~ Arthur Gordon