Mark Messick

“In reality, greatness is achieved through many small and simple changes.”
― Mark Messick, Stupid On Purpose: The Art of Ignoring Good Advice, Doing Whatever The Heck You Want, and Actually Enjoying Your Life

“Well, I blame “The System”. The System is a really wonderful invention that tells you exactly how to live your entire life. Basically, it goes something like this: Get dragged from your mother’s loving embrace and thrust into school at the ripe old age of 5. Waste your time singing silly nursery rhymes and eating slobbery cheerios…rather than living a real childhood. Then, after you’re done with that, advance to “real school” where you get the wonderful opportunity to work your butt off for 12 years learning all sorts of fun things. Nevermind the fact that you’ll forget 90% of what you learn. And never use the other 10%. But whatever. Then you get to go to college, work even harder, rack up a ridiculous amount of debt in student loans, and hopefully get a little piece of paper that’ll earn you a job that you’ll despise for the next 45 years. You’ll wake up every morning, go to your job, work yourself into the ground, go home, watch T.V., go to bed…and repeat.”
― Mark Messick, Why People Fail: The 3 Reasons Most People Suck At Being Successful - And How You Can Be Different