“writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. we are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. it's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. you can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship.”
- anne lamott


Monday, March 11, 2013

Begin, begin

"Just start. Don't wait for perfection. Just start and let the work teach you. No one expects you to get it right in the very beginning and you'll learn more from your mistakes than you will from your early successes anyway. So stop worrying so much and just look at your best bets and go."
-Jacqueline Novogratz


"The way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself. It seems contradictory, but when it comes to creative work, limitations mean freedom. Write a song on your lunch break. Paint a painting with only one color. Start a business without any start-up capital. Shoot a movie with your iPhone and a few of your friends. Build a machine out of spare parts. Don’t make excuses for not working—make things with the time, space, and materials you have, right now."
-Austin Kleon

“All our life we jump through hoops.  Often without asking why. It’s easy to feel stuck – a small cog in a big machine. It doesn't have to be like this.  Don’t waste your life living someone else’s.  Don’t wait for permission.  Life is too short to do work that doesn't matter to you.  Want your memoirs to be worth reading?  Make your choices your own. Be brave. Be inquisitive.  Stop using lack of money or experience as an excuse.  You don’t have to risk it all to explore new options.  It is possible to find work that really makes you tick.  Our world is changing. Careers are changing.  Take advantage or keep your head down. You choose.  The winners are building lives on their own terms.  Take small leaps. Meet people. Ask for help. Save. Plan.  Change jobs. Build businesses. Go on BIG adventures.  Start something you love. Push. Sweat.  No one ever changed the world by toeing the line.  You are capable of more than you realize.  This is no dress rehearsal – make it count.  There will never be a perfect time.  And the first step is often the hardest.  So stop dreaming, start planning…”
-www.escapethecity.org/pages/manifesto

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark."
-Michelangelo

Focus on results--not effort.

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