Discipline and indulgence.

Life is a balance between discipline and indulgence. Well, to be fair it's a balance between many things. But one of the most prominent in a society where we have access to so much. Too much obviously. So much, that one of our biggest challenges is knowing how and when to say, "no".

This brings me to my point. Sometimes, it's important to know when to say no. The joy from self-discipline can't be dismissed. And it is that. It's a joy to practice discipline. It's equally important to know when to say "yes". One without the other is more than useless, it's harmful.

If we really love ourselves, the way we would love a child that looked just like us, we would know when to say "Yes sweetie, I want you to have that cookie" or "maybe we don't need all of that right this second." We would know those times in our souls and we know them for ourselves. As always, the universe speaks quietly through us, listen closely.

You're not broken

One day you'll wake up to realize that the only reason it's been cloudy so long is because you forgot how to stand up.
Now, you might be stiff from lying down so long. But, if you let them, people want to help you remeber how to get up. Because those people know that the only way we can look each other in the eyes is if we're all standing up.

Finding a box

You have a beautiful gift, but the boxes that are out there are for other gifts. In order to properly share your gift, you're going to have to teach people what kind of box your gift fits in. Probably you're going to have to create the box out of nothing and you're going to have to keep creating and keep teaching your whole life. But that's where fulfillment lies.

Pleasure delayed

Let the ice cream soften on a hot summer day.

Stop and smell the flowers while they're right in your way.

Let the mint melt, rather than take a bite.
The only way of being sure you take the full delight.

Take a little sip, if you really want a taste.
a chug is for the greedy and always such a waste.

I think you'll find walking is better than a drive.
Savoring every moment you're blessed to be alive.

Listen to the end before you formulate a thought.
The thing you started thinking isn't worth a lot.

The beauty lies in waiting. Pleasure, best delayed.
The work of a moment should sometimes take all day.

Consistency over effort

We tend to put a premium on effort, but consistency is the real key. In fact, often effort is the enemy of progress. Consistently leaving something in the tank means you don't get stuck on the side of the road. Hemmingway famously would stop his days writing mid-sentence. We should try to apply that to all the areas we seek growth and progress.

Think what we'd have if Tolstoy had tried to write the 1200 words of War and Peace in a week rather than the six years he took. Besides, the joy is in the doing, more than the being done. So stop working until you fall asleep at your desk. You're hurting your creations and worse, you're hurting yourself.

Savor the doing, stop when you have lots left to give and you'll be excited for tomorrow.

Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts. Finding a "cheat" that shortens your building time or lessens your learning curve only cheats yourself of the experience. Or worse, the feeling of achievement.

It's no coincidence that the more valuable a skill is to you personally, the longer it will take you to master. But, if you're concerned with how long 10,000 hours will take, then that's probably not a skill that speaks to your heart anyway.

Trees don't grow overnight. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to become the person we imagine we can be. 

Things

It's nice to have things. The right things can make your house a home, enhance your life, or just bring you a little joy. Even the simplest things, like shoes, can be a great luxury if they make it easier to walk. Or even if they just make you smile at your feet. Just be aware that there's a cost of acquiring things that go beyond the financial. There's a cost to your freedom.

Every time you add a thing to your life you make it harder to be fluid. To answer if the universe calls you away. Also, too many and you run the danger of filling your life with only giving the things the care or attention they need. Or worse you stop giving being mindful of what you're surrounded by. Things carelessly owned should be given to people who need them. Get lost in life, not your things.