Once in a great while, a child is born who, for reasons unknown to anyone, take possession of its own mind and does its own thinking. When that happens, the world has found a potential free thinker; but the world never has many of this type at any given period. Most people do their thinking at second hand, so to speak, by merely reflecting the thoughts, ideas and beliefs of those around them, and this applies to both children and adults.

Napoleon Hill, How to Own Your Mind

By far the most significant learning experience in adulthood involves critical self-reflection — reassessing the way we have posed problems and reassessing our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling and acting.

Jack Mezirow

Persistence turns anything into extra ordinary achievement.

Originally it was this quote from Matt Biondi:

Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.

I like the more generalized version and also this from Maya Angelou

You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.

Life is but a series of fleeting moments, one forever chasing the next. The only place where you can live, act, and make a difference is the present. Today.

1. Make peace with your past so it won’t disturb your present.
2. What other people think of you is none of your business.
3. Time heals almost everything. Give it time.
4. No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.
5. Don’t compare your life to others and don’t judge them. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
6. Stop thinking too much. It’s alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.
7. Smile. You don’t own all the problems in the world.

Where did these rules come from?

In 1995, Studio Ghibli, a Japanese anime company, released a movie called Whisper of the Heart. It’s about two high school students struggling with their artistic callings, their feelings for each other, and coming of age.

Every night for the next week, set aside ten minutes before you go to sleep. Write down three things that went well today and why they went well. You may use a journal or your computer to write about the events, but it is important that you have a physical record of what you wrote. The three things need not be earthshaking in importance (“ My husband picked up my favorite ice cream for dessert on the way home from work today”), but they can be important (“ My sister just gave birth to a healthy baby boy”).

Next to each positive event, answer the question “Why did this happen?”

When you gossip about another person, listeners unconsciously associate you with the characteristics you are describing, ultimately leading to those characteristics’ being “transferred” to you. So, say positive and pleasant things about friends and colleagues, and you are seen as a nice person. In contrast, constantly complain about their failings, and people will unconsciously apply the negative traits and incompetence to you.