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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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      “Really successful people feel the same lack of motivation as everyone else.  The difference is that they still find a way to show up despite the feelings of boredom.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

        “The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least.  It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often.  So, yes, perseverance, grit, and willpower are essential to success, but the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

          “Even if our efforts of attention seem for years to be producing no result, one day a light that is in exact proportion to them will flood the soul.” ~ Simone Weil, via Solitude

            “Sure I am that this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond my endurance.  As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us.” ~ Winston Churchill

              “I will persist until I succeed.  I was not delivered into this world into defeat, nor does failure course in my veins.  I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd.  I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep.  The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.  I will persist until I succeed.” ~ Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

                “Persistence isn’t using the same tactics over and over.  That’s just annoying.  Persistence is having the same goal over and over.” ~ Seth Godin, Whatcha Gonna Do With That Duck?

                  “When things get tough or uncomfortable, we tell ourselves: it’s OK to quit, it doesn’t matter, we’ll do it next time, we’re not disciplined enough, we suck at this, we can’t do it, it’s too hard, it would be nice to take a break, life is too short to struggle, we deserve a reward, just this once won’t matter, we’re going to fail, it’s better to fail quietly, we just don’t feel like it right now, let’s not think about this, hey a squirrel!  So what can we do if our story is working against us?  Change the damn story. Create a song to sing about yourself at the epic hero of your dreams. Sing this song daily, and be proud of it. Go after the dream, fight the forces of distraction and dullness and self-doubt, rise up to be your best self. You are the writer of your story, the composer of your song, and every moment is a chance to rewrite it, a new draft ready to be crafted into something better.” ~ Leo Babauta, Blog

                    “One of the strange laws of the contemplative life is that in it you do not sit down and solve problems: you bear with them until they somehow solve themselves. Or until life solves them for you.” ~ Thomas Merton

                      “Success is processional. It’s the result of a series of small disciplines that lead us into habitual patterns of success that no longer require consistent will or effort.” ~ Anthony Robbins, Awaken the Giant Within

                        “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

                            “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill.  I will not be outworked.  Period.  You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me; you might be all of those things – you got it on me in nine categories.  But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m gonna die.  It’s really that simple, right? … You’re not going to outwork me.” ~ Will Smith

                            Julie Moss’s Inspirational Near-Win in the 1982 Ironman [Excerpt]

                              Julie Moss's Inspirational Near-Win in the 1982 Ironman [Excerpt]

                              Excerpt: The following is an excerpt from The Rise by Sarah Lewis. It is an inspirational story of Julie Moss’s near win in the 1982 Ironman when she lost complete control of her body and how, out of sheer will and determination, she was able to cross the finish line crawling on her knees.  It’s a story that will motivate you to push a little harder the next time you go to workout—of that, I’m sure.

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                                “…We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated. That sounds goody two-shoes, I know, but I believe that a diamond is the result of extreme pressure and time. Less time is crystal. Less than that is coal. Less than that is fossilized leaves. Less than that it’s just plain dirt. In all my work, in the movies I write, the lyrics the poetry, the prose, the essays, I am saying that we may encounter many defeats – maybe it’s imperative that we encounter the defeats – but we are much stronger than we appear to be and maybe much better than we allow ourselves to be.” ~ Maya Angelou

                                  “All worthwhile journeys have big obstacles. It’s the way of the world. The rewards go to those who can push through those trying moments and still manage to keep a smile on their face.” ~ Bear Grylls