5 Quotes You Need to Hear

Tweet of the Week: (Thread)

Walking away with one powerful quote makes a book worth your time. Good quotes are sticky. They are the needle in a giant haystack of information. The most important ingredient of the recipe. You see people write quotes on their wall, use them as a screensaver, and some even get them tattooed. So how could one short configuration of words be powerful enough for people to get it in ink on their body? The answer is simple. It is shocking how little people really need to hear to put them on the right course of action. Sometimes a little word of encouragement goes a long way. In addition, throughout history, there has been a countless number of smart dudes who have just said something so smart that people still say “shit, that is so smart that I need to get it etched on my keychain.” The power of being articulate in your word is evident in the popularity of quotes. That is why I want to break down 5 quotes that are important to my daily life with the intent that you will leave here with some value yourself.

Quote #1

“Nobody Cares. Work Harder.” - Cameron Hanes

Harsh isn’t it? Well yeah, the truth hurts. In an age where living the “fake life” on social media is glorified, it is easy to get caught in the trap. When we do something hard, we want to share it with the world and say “Hey, look what I did!” In reality, nobody seeing your post gives one single shit what you did. It doesn’t earn you points. You might get a few shallow “nice job” comments but that the end of the day you put in the work for YOU. Once you realize that, your entire perception changes forever. You want to be the best? Then don’t waste time telling other people about what you are going to do and use that energy to start doing it. Next time you run 5 miles, remember that nobody cares and you can be even better if you work harder. That compounds overtime. You become the person that people admire, but only you know how you got there.

Quote #2

“You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without knowing your true potential.” - David Goggins

The man. The myth. The legend. You didn’t think I was going to make a list of my favorite quotes and not include this guy, did you? There is a reason people gravitate toward a guy like David Goggins, and it is not because life is smooth sailing and everything is falling into place perfectly. Everyone goes to Goggins for the same reason I do, because life is fucking hard. He is the voice that drives you through the bad times. The thing about life today is we can eliminate a lot of the challenges. If you don’t expose yourself to discomfort and suffering, there is a good chance you will never be ready for shit. How are you going to crush a job interview when you can’t even make your bed? Being comfortable and soft amounts to exactly 0 progress, in fact I’d argue that it makes you go backwards. Nobody has ever reached their true potential going backwards, that is for damn sure. Every time I question why I should grind I come back to this quote and realize I got one shot at finding what I am capable of.

Quote #3

“Discipline equals freedom” - Jocko Willink

Like I said, sometimes all it takes is 3 words to get the point across. This quote is arguably the most important of the bunch when it comes to using it in your daily life. If you show up everyday and do the things you have to do, there is no arguing that you will feel better and set yourself up to live a happy and successful life. It’s truly the ultimate freedom. There is nothing liberating about avoiding a task or procrastinating something important in your life. All this does is clutter your mind instead of freeing yourself had you just did what you were supposed to. Discipline is something you need to rely on day in and day out. You cannot rely on hope or motivation, because when you wake up in the morning, they might not always be there.

Quote #4

“What you aim at determines what you see” - Jordan Peterson

Think about how many hours of life you spend wandering with no vision, no sense of purpose, and no goal to fulfill. Peterson’s quote changes all of that. The importance of setting an aim or a goal isn’t actually achieving the goal itself, but rather giving you something to work toward. Aiming at something gives you clarity and peace of mind. You are now on a journey and it is a clear one. Life no longer feels directionless. Once you establish a destination, then and only then are you able to lay the groundwork for finding a way to get there. That groundwork is your new path and purpose. All of a sudden, your blurry life becomes crystal clear.

Quote #5

“If someone is slipping up, kindly correct them and point out what they missed. But if you can’t, blame yourself—or no one.” - Marcus Aurelius

This is the art of taking extreme ownership. It runs along the lines of the saying “if you have nothing nice to say then don’t say it at all.” Marcus takes it a step further. If someone is messing up, there is nothing good that will happen if you make fun of them. Therefore, you must use your knowledge to show them the correct way or make a point that they did not understand. However, if you have nothing useful to say then do not say it at all, because nothing good comes out of that either. And if there is anyone to blame, just say it is you. If you want to be someone who people admire or a true leader, then that requires you blame nobody else but yourself. Don’t be the guy talking for no reason. Say something helpful, or don’t speak at all.

If you want to see another list of quotes in a future newsletter, comment down below.

Weekly Book/Podcast recommendations

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

If you enjoyed this weeks newsletter, be sure to subscribe below and drop a comment to support!