How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons
"Action is the antitdote to despair."
- Joan Baez
"It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop."
- Confucius
"You get down to work and don't just stand there despairing. That's what I would say to people who feel hopeless and despairing: Don't just sit there. Do Something... There''s alwasys something you can do if you really put your mind to it. I believe that."
- Aung San Suu Kyi
"Taking Action:
Doing what needs to be done
When it needs to be done
In response to the needs of the situation'
- Gregg Krech, The Art of Taking Action
“I move, therefore I am.”
- Haruki Murakami
“Consciousness is only possible through change;
change is only possible through movement.”
- Aldos Huxley
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
- Goethe
"Never mind likes and dislikes; they are of no consequence. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness."
- George Bernard Shaw
“Life is a movement, a constant movement in
relationship; and thought, trying to capture that movement in terms of the past,
as memory, is afraid of life.”
- Jiddu Krishnamurti
"Children do not learn that books exist, that
armchairs exist, etc. etc., ─they learn to fetch books, sit in armchairs, etc.
etc."
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
"Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one."
- Bruce Lee
"It's best to get clarity before you begin, but it's also best to begin before you get clarity.
- Gregg Krech
“None of your knowledge, your reading, your
connections will be of any use here: two legs suffice, and big eyes to see with.
Walk alone, across mountains or through forests. You are nobody to the hills or
the thick boughs heavy with greenery. You are no longer a role, or a status, not
even an individual, but a body, a body that feels sharp stones on the paths, the
caress of long grass and the freshness of the wind. When you walk, the world has
neither present nor future: nothing but the cycle of mornings and evenings.
Always the same thing to do all day: walk. But the walker who marvels while
walking (the blue of the rocks in a July evening light, the silvery green of
olive leaves at noon, the violet morning hills) has no past, no plans, no
experience. He has within him the eternal child. While walking I am but a simple
gaze.”
- Frédéric Gros
“Take action! An inch of movement will bring
you closer to your goals than a mile of intention.”
- Steve Maraboli
"Don't prepare. Begin.
The Enemy is Resistance.
Start before your ready.
Begin it now."
- Steven Pressfield
Everyday Living Advice
"Know your long-range purposes.
Work in the service of some cause that you can respect.
Attempt to live and work in an environment in line
with your own innate values.
Develop a philosophy of gratitude.
Reduce procrastination - it can be dangerous.
Use muscular activtiy of alleviate frustration.
Understand that aimlessness causes harmful stress.
Work itself is good and a basic life necessity."
- Dr. Hans Selye, The Stress of Life, 1978
"No action, no change. Limited action, limited change. Lots of action, change occurs."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"Opportunities multiply as they are seized."
- Sun Tzu
"A little deed done very well is better than a mighty plan kept on paper, undone. Wishes don't change the world; it's actions that do this business!"
- Israelmore Ayivor
"It will not always be summer: build barns."
- Hesiod
"Believe in yourself, your neighbors, your work, your ultimate attainment of more complete happiness. It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring, who reaps a harvest in Autumn."
- B. C. Forbes
Work, Job, Employment, Doing, Action
" 1. Paying Attention: As I notice my environmnet and the world around me, does that suggest a particular action I need to take?
2. Purpose: What am I passionate about? What leacy do I want to leave behind? What have I created? [What action today do my core purposes require me to take?}
3. Self-Reflection/Naikan: As I Step back and reflect on my life and relationships, does that suggest a particual action I should take?
Question Yourself:
What have I received from _____________?
What have I given to ____________________?
What troubles and difficulties have I caused ____________?
"When we survey our lives and endeavors, we soon observe that almost the whole of our actions and desires is bound up with the existence of other human beings." Albert Einstein
"Imagine a world in which everybody first considers how the action or inaction that they plan to take would affect the next person, and proceed only when they are confident that the action or inaction would not affect the next person or would only affect them in a positive and delightful manner!"
-
Phnuel Muverengwi
4. Urgent vs. Important: What really matters? What is truly important and not just urgent at this moment? [What actions today should or must be taken?]
- Gregg Krech, The Art of Taking Action
"Actions speak louder than Words, but sometimes you must be able to explain your Actions.
For minor matters: act and work first; for major matters: reflect before beginning work, but act promptly.
You are given Today - make it matter.
A callused palm and dirty findernails precede a Green Thumb.
Never underestimate the power of those that like things neat and tidy.
As you move your hands so you move your mind.
Gardening is sometimes superior to just sitting on your butt.
Gardening dissolves mental chatter in the sweat of bodily effort.
We already live in the Garden of Eden, but we now have to work to keep it growing.
Wishes are like seeds, few every develop into something.
Gardens are not inherently meaningful in many ways; but, making a garden and caring for it creates meaningfulness.
When all the chores are done, the avid gardener will invent some new ones.
Happiness often creeps up on you unexpectedly while you are working diligently in the garden."
- Michael P. Garofalo, Pulling Onions: Over 1,043 Sayings
"Monotony is the law of nature. Look at the monotonous manner in which the sun rises. The monotony of necessary occupations is exhilarating and life-giving."
- Mahatma Gandhi
"There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all crew."
- Marshall McLuhan
“The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts - it gives you what you demand with your actions.”
- Steve Maraboli
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
- William James
“You need to know it's your actions that will make you a good person, not desire.”
- Matthew Quick
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”
- John Locke
"The best-known cure for the fear of failure is action - that's right, action. The aspect of taking action helps to quiet nerves and can lead to even minor accomplishments."
- Byron Pulsifer
"Any garden demands as much of its maker as he has to give. But I do not need to tell you, if you are a gardener, that no other undertaking will give as great a return for the amount of effort put into it."
- Elizabeth Lawrence
"I daresay some would never get their eyes opened if it were not for a violent shock from the consequences of their own actions."
- George Eliot
"When all else fails, remember that certain fears can create action as well. It is not always a fear of an activity. Sometimes it is a fear of the results of inactivity."
- Brian Cagneey
"All the noble thoughts, magnificent plans, and "secrets" of achievement in the world are of little value unless and until they are put into action. Our worth is always determined by our deeds, not by our good intentions, however noble."
- Og Mandino
"An action is the perfection and publication of thought. A right action seems to fill the eye, and to be related to all nature."
-
Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."
-
Dalai Lama
"If what we are now has been the result of our past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act."
- Swami Vivekananda
"For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."
- Mary Kay Ash
"Remember, it's not what you do but that you do something that matters."
-
Cherie Carter-Scott
"If goals clarify what you want, actions help you make it happen."
- David Moffet
"You must act to get what you want."
-
E. Perry Good
"You may not consider yourself as a contributor to humanity, but know that every action creates some effect of the fabric of human consciousness whether you are aware of it or not."
- Michael Hetherington
"The world has the habit of making room for the man whose actions show that he knows where he is going."
-
Napoleon Hill
"You're a doer, because you're prepared to make the necessary effort to translate your dream into action."
-
Paul McCabe
Learn, and read but more important so
Is taking action and then you'll see success flow!
"Circumstances change. Actions that lead to success today will contribute to failure tomorrow. The level of impact created by your actions is directly determined by the context in which those actions were performed."
- Ryan Caradonna
"Only through action have I unlocked the power inside of me to become the person that I've always wanted to be.
- Mel Robbins
"It is 'action' that erodes or replaces worry. As I have said before, worry doesn't accomplish anything but action does."
- Catherine Pulsifer
"Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you."
- Thomas Jefferson
"Dreams mean nothing if they are not followed by action."
- Jason Harvey
"The mind and body learn and remember better from doing than from reading, hearing, or seeing."
- Kam Knight
"Success is found by those who do.
Don't let anyone stop you from being you."
- Catherine Pulsifer
"For courage to be authentic, one must encounter fear and prove superior to the fear through right action."
-
Mark Sturgell
"If the wind will not serve, take to the oars."
- Latin Proverb
"The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind."
-
Jacob Bronowski
"Action means motion not lack of motion; action means taking a positive step not sitting on your hands waiting; action means you take charge and move forward rather than expecting circumstances will change without any effort on your part."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"I never worry about action, but only inaction."
-
Winston Churchill
"Sometimes its easier for someone to live in fantasy land dreaming about their life being successful. Other than actually taking action to make that idea come to fruition."
-
Alex Altman
"Thinking will not overcome fear but action will."
-
W. Clement Stone
"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."
-
Nora Roberts
You can only control two things your attitude and your activity.
"Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action."
-
Napoleon Hill
"If you spend time getting ready to be perfect and do not start out to accomplish your dreams, you will find out later that you could have accomplished your dream if you had just acted."
-
David DeNotaris
"There are those who believe that any action counts and is significant towards the end goal or accomplishment. Well, any action won't cut it - the action needs to be directed specifically towards a specific end or task, and each action that follows must compliment the preceding."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"You will never plough a field if you only turn it over in your mind."
- Irish Proverb
"Whatever part you wish to play in life, you must act the part NOW."
- L. W. De Laurence
"Letting go of outcomes might be the hardest thing we'll ever do, but it beats the boredom of inaction."
- Bryan Radzin
"We can, and must, recognize our responsibility for all of our actions—A true understanding of our entanglement with all the calls for compassion for the all; our planet, our peoples, our animals, our land; our universe."
- Sheldon Stoff
"Action is what unites every great success. Action is what produces results."
- Tony Robbins
"Persistence means continuing firmly with a course of action despite obstacles and resistance."
-
Sharon Cook
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy."
-
Dale Carnegie
"For every failure, there's an alternative course of action. You just have to find it. When you come to a roadblock, take a detour."
- Mary Kay Ash
"Remember, it's not what you do but that you do something that matters."
-
Cherie Carter-Scott
"If goals clarify what you want, actions help you make it happen."
- David Moffet
"You must act to get what you want."
-
E. Perry Good
"You may not consider yourself as a contributor to humanity, but know that every action creates some effect of the fabric of human consciousness whether you are aware of it or not."
- Michael Hetherington
"An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory."
-
Friedrich Engels
"So many fail because they don't get started - they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin."
-
W. Clement Stone
"What will they remember, your actions today will determine what they will remember."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"Abundance is from activity."
-
Turkish Proverb
"Choose how you want your life to be and then start taking action on it. Everyone is capable of growth at any skill, and that means that you can learn how to create connection in your life."
-
Joe Gaebel
"Your mind also plays a very powerful role in your productivity, since it forms attitudes and these attitudes can eventually turn into action or inaction."
- Timo Kiander
“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
- Gandhi
“Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.”
- Mark Twain
“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.”
- Jason Fried
“I am not imposed upon by fine words; I can see what actions mean.”
- George Eliot
Work, Job, Employment, Doing, Action
Agi quod agis
Do what you are doing.
"I slept and dreamed that life was beauty.
I awoke -- and found that life was duty."
- Ellen Stugis Hooper
"There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there."
- Indira Gandhi
"A year from now you may wish you had started today."
- Karen Lamb
"Genius is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent inspiration."
- Thomas Edison
"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do. Nothing else."
- Gandhi
"Never confuse motion with action."
- Benjamin Franklin
"Often just by taking action, by doing something about the situation can relieve the stress and help correct the situation."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"Ideas without action are worthless."
- Harvey Mackay
"Action is not something that comes after figuring things out. Action is a way of figuring things out."
- Gregg Krech
"You are not what you think; you are not what you say; you are what you do."
- Peter Dunne
"We all find ourselves in situations that at times seem hopeless. And, we all have the choice to do nothing or take action."
-
Catherine Pulsifer
"Clearly distinguish between what you feel and what you do. Your moods, your impulses, your inclinations, and your feelings provide genuine flavor to experience, but they are outside of your direct control and therefore beyond the scope of your responsibility. What you do, on the other hand, is subject to your direct control and therefore is your responsiblity at all times and under all conditions."
- David K. Reynolds
"Stay focused and don't allow distractions to fill your mind or derail you from taking continued action."
-
Byron Pulsifer
"I have the power to make my worries gigantic or to shrink them. Today I will take action to live fully in the present moment."
-
Amy E. Dean
"Each individual is solely responsible for his or her own actions, and every action will produce a reaction equal in every way to the suitability of the action."
-
Mary T. Brown
"There are some very simple and profound ways to help ouselves wake up. How we really come alive is by doing things, by handling things. It is an important aspect of Zen. We come alive by doing and meeting things, taking care of things. We come alive by responding to one another. ... But we can take care of each drop of water and each particle of Earth. So, please take care of yourself and each other, being nourished by each thing, by each moment."
- Edward Espe Brown, "The Most Important Point," p. 225
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How Your Habits Shape Your Identity (and Vice Versa)
"There are three levels of change: outcome change, process change, and identity change.
The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, but on who you wish to become.
Your identity emerges out of your habits. Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.
Becoming the best version of yourself requires you to continuously edit your beliefs, and to upgrade and expand your identity.
The real reason habits matter is not because the can get you better results (although they can do that),
but because they can change your beliefs about yourself.
The most practical way to change who you are is to change what you do.
Decide on the person you want to be. Prove it to yourself with small wins.
Your habits are how you embody your identity."
- James Clear, Atomic Habits, 2018, Chapter 2
“1) Psych: Getting Ready
2) Prep: Planning Before Leaping
3) Perspire: Taking Action;
4) Persevere: Managing Slips;
5) Persist: Maintaining Change.”
- John Norcross, Changelology, 2012
Reading in 2022
The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology. By Gregg Krech. ToDo Institute, 2014, 216 pages. VSCL.
Constructive Living. By David K. Reynolds. Kolowalu Books, University of Hawaii, 1984, 120 pages. VSCL.
The Quiet Therapies: Japanese Pathways to Personal Growth. By David K. Reynolds. University of Hawaii, 1982, 144 pages. VSCL.
VSCL = Valley Spirit Center, Fir Grove, Vancouver, Washington. My home library.
Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. By James Clear. Avery, 2018, 320 pages. An excellent best seller. Clear writing style, positive, informative, practical, and inspiring. Good coverage of scientific research on habit formation or changing habits. Practical methods, tips, and techniques are provided for changing your ideas, cues, and responses to bad habits and using easy and effective methods for acquiring and establishing good habits. The anecodotes are not overdone, and theories for actionable change are provided. VSCL.
Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Six-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving Your Life Positively Forward
By James O. Prochaska, John Norcorss, and Carlo DiClemente. William Morrow, 1995. 304 pages.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. By Charles Duhigg. Random House, 2014, 416 pages. VSCL.
Changeology: 5 Steps to Realizing Your Goals and Resolutions
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Additions, and Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior. By Richard O'Connor, Ph.D.. New York, Hudson Street Press, c 2014. Index, references, notes, 289 pages.
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything. By B. J. Fogg. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019, 320 pages. VSCL on Kindle ebook.
"It is easier to act yourself into a new way of feeling rather than feel your way into a new way of acting."
- G. D. Morgan
"Willpower stands at the edge of three states: compulsions, habits, and novel adaptations.
Willpower is amoral.
Willpower is another name for intentions and useful habits.
Willpower is skill, like learning to play the piano.
The will is rooted in the irrational― deeply rooted; with but a few fruits of reason in season."
- Michael Garofalo, Pulling Onions
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The Good Life Website
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Last revised, modified, improved, reformatted, or updated on September 26, 2022.
First posted on the Internet on February 6, 2015.
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