Nathan Rice

I love a good quote.

There’s just something about finding a sentence or phrase that speaks directly to the part of your brain that needed convincing.

So when I see a good quote, something that speaks to me or illuminates a concept that I needed to see more clearly, I take notice and try to capture it somehow.

If you read what I’ve been writing on this site recently, you’ve probably detected a theme: Growth.

I like getting better, building good habits, chasing the next goal, getting fitter, more financially secure, growing my skills and career.

Growth feeds me.

But if I don’t balance what I want in the future with the recognition and gratitude for what I have now, what’s the point?

So, I’m grateful to these people for finding a way of speaking to me, of communicating with the part of my brain that needs the occasional reminder to stop, look around, and be truly grateful for where I am. To be aware of just how little I need, and content with what I have (or less) during my pursuit of the next milestone.

You’ll never have enough if you need to have more than someone else.¹

There will always be someone better, richer, stronger, smarter, more successful, and so on. I won’t ever win that game.

Instead, my focus should be on myself, my own standards, and my own pace. What someone else has should be completely irrelevant to my happiness.

He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.

Epictetus

It’s so easy for us to become preoccupied with what’s next, what’s different, what’s missing … that we neglect to enjoy the here and now.

Take parenting, for example. If I spend all my time being sad that they’re not babies any more (or wishing they were older), I’ll miss the amazing moments that come in the toddler years. And when they’re teenagers, I’ll be sad that the toddler years went by so fast. What a terrible way to live life!

You are watching people go through withdrawal from the emotional addiction to the myth of certainty.

Ashley C Ford

This quote came in the form of a tweet toward the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it really spoke truth to me.

There is no such thing as certainty. No matter what your vision is for the future, it will almost certainly be different.

Part of the task of becoming emotionally resilient is realizing that we have to evolve to meet the circumstances we’re given. Don’t waste time thinking about things you can’t change. Adapt, adjust, accept the reality of your situation, and take action within that reality.

Happiness is a state of mind