“We are all in search of feeling more connected to reality—to other people, the times we live in, the natural world, our character, and our own uniqueness. Our culture increasingly tends to separate us from these realities in various ways. We indulge in drugs or alcohol, or engage in dangerous sports or risky behavior, just to wake ourselves up from the sleep of our daily existence and feel a heightened sense of connection to reality. In the end, however, the most satisfying and powerful way to feel this connection is through creative activity. Engaged in the creative process we feel more alive than ever, because we are making something and not merely consuming, Masters of the small reality we create. In doing this work, we are in fact creating ourselves.”
― Mastery
― Mastery
“Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.”
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“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”
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“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves; they therefore remain bound.”
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“I heard him call to the people not to be afraid, that the soldiers would not hurt them; then the troops opened fire from two sides of the camp.”
― Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
― Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Al’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Al’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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