Gray

“It is always hard to believe that the courageous step is so close to us, that it is closer than we ever could imagine, that in fact, we already know what it is, and that the step is simpler, more radical than we had thought: which is why we so often prefer the story to be more elaborate, our identities clouded by fear, the horizon safely in the distance, the essay longer than it needs to be and the answer safely in the realm of impossibility.”
― David Whyte, Consolations - Revised edition: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

“You pull the thing into your shoulder, look down the thing, then flip the other thing, and finally squeeze the clicky thingy and boom. Got all that?”
― J.N. Chaney, The First Peacemaker

“is it fair to myself or others to assume these negative identities when what I'm really identifying is simply how I'm different? Of course not. And is it really an act of personal growth or self-improvement to set a goal to change these traits in favor of ones that conform to cultural expectations? Of course not—it's an act of personal violence and self-negation.”
― Tara McMullin, What Works: A Comprehensive Framework to Change the Way We Approach Goal Setting

“They’re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they’re addicted to busyness and dread what they might have to face in its absence.”
― Tara Gentile, Quiet Power Strategy