Little Deep Thoughts

Sometimes we don't do things because we're not sure we can do them well. We feel that we're not in the mood or at the right energy level to do the task we have to do, so we put it off, or wait for inspiration to arrive. The most commonly known example of this phenomenon is what writers call "writer's block." A mental barrier seems to set in that prevents a writer from writing. Sometimes it gets so severe that writers go to psychotherapists to get help for it. The "block" (or lack of self-motivation) occurs not because the writer can't write, but because the writer thinks he can't write  well . In other words, the writer thinks he doesn't have the proper energy or inspiration to write something, right now, that's good enough to submit. So the pessimistic voice inside the writer says, "You can't think of anything to write, can you?" This happens to many of us, even with something as small as a postcard to send, or an ov...

Most of us think our lives accumulate. We think they are adding up to something. We think of our lives as being strung together like a long smoky train, so that we can add new freight cards when we're feeling right, and dump the others when we're not. But when basketball legend John Wooden's father said to him, "Make each day your masterpiece," Wooden knew something profound: Life is now. Life is not later on. And the more we hypnotise ourselves into thinking we have all the time in the world to do what we want to do, the more we sleepwalk past life's finest opportunities. Self-motivation flows from the importance we attach to today. Most of us, however, don't want it to be this way. If someone asks us if today can be used as a model to judge our entire life by, we would shriek, "Oh no! It isn't one of my better days. Give me a year or two and I'll live a day, I'm certain of it, that you can use to represent my life." The key t...

It was my intention, my commitment, that even if a door was closed I would bang on it, I would break the door, or I would get in through the window. There was no way that I would not make that happen. You automatically commit to something if you really want it enough. You don't even have to think about it, you just jump right into it. If there's a movie you're desperate to see, it takes no effort for you to commit to go to a theatre and see it. When you fall head over heels in love, you can't stop yourself from commitment to see the other person. The one thing about the activities we pursue on the ocean is they're very committed. You don't kind of ride a wave; you either ride it or you don't. Every wave and every ride is a belief and commitment. You're taking that leap. There's something about deciding that whatever you have at the moment is enough to do whatever it is you need to do. If you always think you're missing one more thing, if y...

Everything that changes in your life is up to you. You make all the changes. No one can force you to be certain way or feel something different or want something. It's all you. You need to push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. The moment when you want to quit, is the moment when you need to keep pushing yourself. Just keep pushing yourself and stay focused. It will take time. It will require dedication. It will require willpower. You will need to make healthy decisions. It requires sacrifice. You will need to push your body to its max. There will be temperature. But I promise you this when you reach your goal it will have been worth it. You can not expect to see a change if you don't make one. Nobody else can do it for you. Keep doing what you know in your heart is right for you. Let your dreams be bigger than your fears and your actions be louder than your words. Live by choice, not by chance. Make changes, not excuses. Be motivated, not manipulated. ...