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    “Everything we do is for the purpose of altering consciousness. We form friendships so that we can feel love and avoid loneliness. We eat specific foods to enjoy their fleeting presence on our tongues. We read for the pleasure of thinking another person’s thoughts. Every waking moment—and even in our dreams—we struggle to direct the flow of sensation, emotion, and cognition toward states of consciousness that we value.”

    Sam Harris, Waking Up (Page 186)

      “For writers and artists, the ability to self-reinforce is more important than talent. What exactly is reinforcement? It’s when your coach or mentor tugs you aside and tells you how well you are doing, how proud of you they are, and how certain they are that ultimate success will be yours if you just stay who you are and keep doing what you’re doing. That’s reinforcement. Can you tell yourself that? Without a coach? Without a mentor? Can you be your own coach and mentor? That’s self-reinforcement. When we say, ‘Put your ass where your heart wants to be,’ we also mean keep it there. Self-reinforcement keeps us there. It keeps us committed over the long-haul.”

      Steven Pressfield, Put Your Ass Where Your Heart Wants To Be (Page 95)

        “She had a fire inside her.
        She wondered if the fire was to warm her or destroy her.
        Then she realized.
        A fire had not motive.
        Only she could have that.
        The power was hers.”

        Matt Haig, The Midnight Library (Page 164)

          “Imagine there is a small version of you and a big version. When you are playing small, your behavior is timid, you feel less than, and you are often surrounded by people and projects that drain you. When you are playing big, your behavior is confident, you feel motivated, and you tend to be investing in people and projects that energize you. How can you spend more time playing the big version of yourself this year?”

          James Clear

            “It’s essential to work on something you’re deeply interested in. Interest will drive you to work harder than mere diligence ever could. The three most powerful motives are curiosity, delight, and the desire to do something impressive. Sometimes they converge, and that combination is the most powerful of all.”

            Paul Graham

              “At times, I wish I were better at moderation. But, to be honest, it’s just not the way I’m wired. I came into this world hungry and I’m going to die hungry and my hunger is going to make me wildly successful and ultimately lead to my demise and I’m okay with that. I don’t want to be full.”

              Cole Schafer (January Black), One Minute, Please? (Page 168)

                “The process of inner growth demands that we examine consciously everything that motivates us.”

                Robert A. Johnson, Inner Work (Page 72)

                  “Where is the fuel to keep us going? Anger gets you only so far, and then it destroys you. Jealousy might get you started, but it will fade. Greed seems like a good idea until you discover that it eliminates all of your joy. The path forward is about curiosity, generosity, and connection. These are the three foundations of art. Art is a tool that gives us the ability to make things better and to create something new on behalf of those who will use it to create the next thing.”

                  Seth Godin, The Practice (Page 255)

                    “Even with the support of others, it’s hard to struggle through hardship without sufficient motivation of your own.”

                    Chris Guillebeau, The Happiness of Pursuit (Page 175)

                      “You have to put your precepts up for display. You have to make them inescapable or else the idea will escape you when it counts.”

                      Ryan Holiday, Medium