“People who have never suffered and have lived a convenient and comfortable life are almost dead. Their lives will not be like a sharp sword. It will not even cut vegetables. Intelligence becomes sharp when you face challenges. Pray every day to God, ‘Send me more challenges tomorrow, send more storms,’ and then you will know life at the optimum.”
Osho, Everyday Osho (Page 52)
“It is good to be available to the wind, to the rain, to the sun, because this is what life is. So rather than becoming worried about it, dance! Dance when the storm comes, because silence will follow. Dance when challenges come and disturb your life, because in responding to those challenges you will be growing to new heights. Remember, even suffering is a grace. If one can take it rightly it becomes a stepping stone.”
Osho, Everyday Osho (Page 52)
“All those inspirational quotes with cheesy sunsets about enduring adversity and “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” they all kind of mislead you into thinking that just enduring some form of hardship is enough to steel yourself against future hardship. That’s not entirely true. It’s what comes after the trauma that really matters. It’s not the survival of trauma that makes you stronger, it’s the work you put in as a result of the trauma that makes you stronger.”
Mark Manson, Blog
“If quitting is a possibility, everyone will pick that—it’s the easiest one. Who wouldn’t pick not running at 5:00 a.m. over running at 5:00 a.m.? If quitting is an option, you’ll never finish anything hard. The only way an imperfect mind can be forced to achieve is by removing all of its other options. To me, the heart of all successful human interactions is we look at each other and we know we’re about to attempt something that is difficult/impossible, and we both vow to die before we quit.”
Will Smith, Will (Page 237)
“The optimal amount of most “bad” things in life is usually greater than zero: A little bit of selfishness is better than none (it helps you care for yourself); A little bit of anxiety is often better than none (it shows it matters); A little bit of self-doubt is definitely better than none (see: Kanye).”
Mark Manson, The Breakthrough
“Your mountain is the block between you and the life you want to live. Facing it is also the only path to your freedom and becoming. You are here because a trigger showed you to your wound, and your wound will show you to your path, and your path will show you to your destiny.”
Brianna Wiest, The Mountain Is You (Page 8)
“Only in the storm can you see the art of the real sailor; only on the battlefield can you see the bravery of a soldier. The courage of a simple person can be seen in how he copes with the difficult and dangerous situations in life.”
Daniel Achinski, via A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 314)
“Life throws stuff at us. We have to figure out how to catch it and throw it back. That’s what Epictetus meant when he said we don’t control what happens, we control how we respond. But he also liked that throwing metaphor–and clearly was more than a casual fan of sports. Epictetus admired the way that skilled athletes caught the ball that was thrown to them and whipped the ball right back. They didn’t complain. They didn’t demand certain conditions be met before they dove for it. He admired their concentration, their coolness under pressure, their grace, their creativity.”
Ryan Holiday, Daily Stoic Blog
“The human mind is not fragile—it does not need to be protected and cushioned from the hard surfaces of reality like a vase or piece of fine china. The human mind is antifragile—that is, it gains from discomfort and strain. That means to grow stronger, the human mind needs to regularly be confronted with difficult and upsetting experiences to develop stability and serenity for itself.”
Mark Manson