“That's how it works: someone important believes in us, loudly and with conviction and against all substantiation, and over time, we begin to believe, too - not in our shot at perfection, mind you, but in the good enough version of us that they have reflected.”
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
“My recommendation: don’t be special; don’t be unique. Redefine your metrics in mundane and broad ways. Choose to measure yourself not as a rising star or an undiscovered genius. Choose to measure yourself not as some horrible victim or dismal failure. Instead, measure yourself by more mundane identities: a student, a partner, a friend, a creator.
The narrower and rarer the identity you choose for yourself, the more everything will seem to threaten you. For that reason, define yourself in the simplest and most ordinary ways possible.This often means giving up some grandiose ideas about yourself: that you’re uniquely intelligent, or spectacularly talented, or intimidatingly attractive, or especially victimized in ways other people could never imagine. This means giving up your sense of entitlement and your belief that you’re somehow owed something by this world.”
― The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
The narrower and rarer the identity you choose for yourself, the more everything will seem to threaten you. For that reason, define yourself in the simplest and most ordinary ways possible.This often means giving up some grandiose ideas about yourself: that you’re uniquely intelligent, or spectacularly talented, or intimidatingly attractive, or especially victimized in ways other people could never imagine. This means giving up your sense of entitlement and your belief that you’re somehow owed something by this world.”
― The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
“Like books, sports give people a sense of having lived other lives, of taking part in other people’s victories. And defeats. When sports are at their best, the spirit of the fan merges with the spirit of the athlete.”
― Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
― Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
“Liberated by the simple act of saying no—which I submit is impressive for any woman, and downright radical for one raised in the Nice’n Easy generation—my mom had always been able to find outs where others could not. Looking back, I think it came down to her impressive willingness to be disliked and her utterly unromantic position that people should take serious—if not total—responsibility for their own happiness.”
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
“I've come to feel downright uneasy with people who can't say no. What if they yes you to death and then secretly hate you for it? If they never say no, how can you trust their yes? Besides, no makes room for yes, and who doesn't want more room for that?”
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
― Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
Vinaya’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Vinaya’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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