We must stop pretending that there is not enough love in the world to give or receive, as though love can somehow be diminished or squandered by human force. Love is a divine energy, always present, accessible, flowing. If we accept this much, we can go further. We can let go of past hurts, for they have nothing to do with the reality of love itself. And we can stop playing our petty games, slowly pacing the release of our love to the world only when it feels safe. Limiting how much love we give to others because we fear lack is an act of cowardice, not divine strength. And so let us now sense love anew, from a different, divine perspective. Let us feel its abundance and let it emanate through us in its full force so that we might soar and serve at levels beyond human imagination. Let us declare: We Shall Amplify Love.
Personal Freedom, and the hope of mankind, rests on our commitment to stay true to ourselves, our dreams, our word, our goodness, and our loving nature. By refusing to bend on our values, we become unbreakable–solid and stable, courageous and certain, men and women of valor, worth, and character. Let us build a life we are proud of. Let us declare: We Shall Not Break Integrity.
We are to be radiant, grateful, buoyant people basking in our blessings and striving cheerfully toward our dreams under the bright and loving sunshine of the Divine. It takes only will and conditioning to enjoy such a life. Let us make the choice to reexamine our attitude and orientation to life, to cultivate a more positive and present pulse. Let us declare: We Shall Practice Joy and Gratitude.
The Jewel of Life
The greatest of human freedoms is the ability to choose, at any moment, the palette of our emotional sky. We alone activate the very energy and emotion through which we experience life. If we wish to feel joy and gratitude in our lives, then we must direct our beliefs and behaviors in order to accomplish that end. And we must do it constantly, with such force and repetition that those emotions become the hues of our daily attitude. This is not easy work, but let it be our mission.
As we overcome fear and defeat our internal demons, we must recalibrate our entire mindset toward advancement. Ours must become a life of courageous action and perpetual progress.
The majority of the world’s people are not advancing at the speed of which they are capable. They have not sought self-mastery and so they lack the personal power to direct their energies. Wrong thinking and weak wills are preventing them from extending themselves fully toward their dreams. It is like watching a cheetah stroll lazily all its life, never powerfully stretching and leaping at the staggering speed within its potential.
As we gain greater presence and purpose in life, we become more attuned to our vitality and strength. We also become more aware of the profound ways in which we limit ourselves. We come to realize that our thoughts, more so than our circumstances, sabotage our freedom and success. We are the ones who allow our insecurities and fears to grow into the tidal waves of worry that wash our dreams away. We are the ones who constantly delay our own progress, quitting just as the hour demands courageous action. We are the ones separating ourselves from others so that we needn’t risk real connection or so that we can feel better than them.
Let us now get serious about our days and who are becoming because of them. Let’s get serious about the aim and enjoyment of a meaningful life. It is time to value the hour once more and refuse to give up our lives to the world’s distractions and nonsense. It is time to make our own way and get back our day. For this, we declare: We Shall Reclaim Our Agenda.
Clarity on What Is Meaningful
What will give us a sense that we are one more in command of our life’s agenda? Clarity. Direction. Progress.
We begin developing clarity about the current state of our life’s agenda by realizing that all human experience is segmented into two fields: meaningful activities and nonmeaningful activities. This forces a clear distinction when evaluating our days. Do I find what I am doing each day of my life meaningful? Is all this busywork in line with what I feel is my life’s work? These are the questions of the self-determined. Such questions make us reevaluate everything–every task, responsibility, and opportunity that is laid before us by the world must now be questioned as to whether or not it aligns with our goals, whether or not it enlivens us, whether or not it allows us to feel fulfilled. To those activities that come up short, we must be unblinking and once and for all release our belief that we must be doing them.
Let us remember that all that we love of life can be accessed only now. All we seek is here, with us and available to us in this moment. All the real riches–love, passion, joy, satisfaction, harmony–are available now on the menu of the mind, available for us to savor should we awake and order them. All that we seek to become is also here; we can choose what role we want to play and how we will direct life’s energies in each moment. Should we learn to direct our awareness and power in all we do, then discontent shall disappear and a vital energy will return. We will sense a vibrancy unfathomable to most men and women of this Earth. For this, let us declare: We Shall Meet Life with Full Presence and Power.
The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph Ryan Holiday
20140501
About This Book
We are stuck, stymied, frustrated. But it needn’t be this way. There is a formula for success that’s been followed by the icons of history—from John D. Rockefeller to Amelia Earhart to Ulysses S. Grant to Steve Jobs—a formula that showed them how to turn obstacles into opportunities. Faced with impossible situations, they produced the astounding triumphs we all seek.
These men and women were not exceptionally brilliant, lucky, or gifted. Their success came from timeless philosophical principles laid down by a Roman emperor who struggled to articulate a method for excellence in any and all situations.
This book reveals that formula in a new way—and shows us how we can turn our own adversity into advantage.
