<p>When you're bored or unhappy or doing something unproductive, ask what could you be doing that would lead to greatness?</p>

The epic alternative

<p>Love is more beautiful with more stories.</p><p><br></p><p>Inaction doesn't make a good story. If you want to stay motivated, live a life full of stories. </p>

Take action

<p> It is one’s ability to change (Albert Einstein).</p><p><br></p><p>Change causes discomfort. Discomfort produces growth. Growth encourages learning. Learning brings happiness. </p>

The greatest measure of intelligence

<p> Take a big risk. Then write about it. </p><p><br></p><p>If you are unable to take risks, then interview someone who does take risks. </p>

Live a story worth writing about

<p><em><em>You can tell how smart a man is by the answers he gives, you can tell how wise he is by the questions he asks.</em></em></p>

12. You can tell how smart a man is by the answers he gives, you can tell how wise he is by the questions he asks (Anonymous).

<p>Avoid being aimless and mindless. If you can’t come up with a positive reason for why you’re doing something, don’t do it.</p>

Be intentional

<p>Saving money is good, but why restrict your living when you can creatively figure out a way to make more income?  Create another income stream before trying to save. </p>

Don’t just save money

<p>You need to inhale in order to exhale, and you need to do both to live.</p><p><br></p><p>If you don’t read, your writing will suffer. Read too much without writing, and you'll hurt. You need to do both. </p>

Reading is inhaling, writing is exhaling

<p>If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster… treat those two impostors just the same (from Rudyard Kipling’s “If”).</p><p><br></p><p>Success and failure are both the just fuel of life. You are far more than what you do. </p>

You are more than you do

<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*NOcdwwmjg5clixFdzCh7fw" width="680" height="309"><figcaption dir="auto">All rights reserved. Please reach out for permission before reposting.</figcaption></figure><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">1. What is the epic alternative?</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">I ask myself this when I’m bored or unhappy or doing something unproductive. What could I be doing instead that would lead to greatness, for myself or others?</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">2. Take action or don’t call; what’s the better story?</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">Inaction is never a good story. I love telling stories. I want to live a life full of stories. I know this is a mostly selfish motivation but I believe life is more beautiful with more stories.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">3. There’s nothing more unattractive than a still man.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">When I catch myself laggardly sprawled out on the couch and listless, I reprimand my inner beast with this saying.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">4. Teachers teach, coaches coach, entrepreneurs fail.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">One of my favorites. It’s what we do. And we do it unflinchingly.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">5. The greatest measure of intelligence is one’s ability to change (Albert Einstein).</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">Change leads to discomfort. Discomfort causes growth. Growth fosters learning. Learning brings happiness.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">6. I never want to plateau.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">Legitimate fear of mine. I’m scared of settling into a comfortable apathy about life. This is probably <a href="https://medium.com/series/adventures-in-entrepreneurship-14f8e3fc177f" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">why I move every three months</a> around the country with my wife and two cats.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">7. Live a story worth writing about.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">I can’t stand writers who do nothing but write. I do my best to not be like that. Take a big risk. Then write about it. Don’t want to take risks but still want to write? Interview someone who does take risks.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">8. Use the fewest number of words possible without cheapening or reducing the idea.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">Ah, yes, this is my life’s challenge. Do not blab. Speak and write with austere efficiency. Words for the sake of word count are daggers. Do not waste words.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">9. If there’s an opportunity to jump in the water, you must jump in.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">This is not deep. It’s simple. If I encounter a lake, a pool, a river, a hot spring, or an ocean… whatever it is — I must disrobe and jump in. It’s shockingly uncomfortable but immediately and posthumously rewarding.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">10. If it’s truth, it should be able to stand up to anything.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">This informs my personal worldview. I don’t want to believe anything falsifiable or shallow.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">11. You can only judge someone if you know them completely 100% through and through.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">I can never know someone 100%, not even my closest relationships. Therefore, I do not judge anyone. But I do extend tough love 😜</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">12. <mark dir="ltr">You can tell how smart a man is by the answers he gives, you can tell how wise he is by the questions he asks (Anonymous).</mark></h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="" dir="ltr">When I first heard this in high school, I tattooed it onto my brain. I have a weird obsession with questions. I even made <a href="http://partyqs.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" dir="ltr">an app</a> with over 550 questions for group discussion.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">13. If you can’t come up with a positive reason for why you’re doing something, don’t do it.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">This helps me be intentional and thoughtful. I want to avoid being aimless and mindless in anything I do. Know your why and your confidence will be high.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">14. Don’t save money, find a way to make more.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">Perhaps the entrepreneur in me says this, but in today’s opportunistic society, why restrict your living when you can creatively figure out a way to make more income? Saving money is good and I do it, but my first instinct is to create another income stream before trying to save.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">15. Reading is inhaling, writing is exhaling. You need to inhale in order to exhale, and you need to do both to live.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">I love to write. But if I don’t read, my writing suffers. But if I read too much without writing, I start to shake. You need both.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">16. A picture’s worth a thousand words. That’s a thousands words your lazy brain is deprived of.</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">More of a pet peeve than a real thing. People love to say this quote and a small part of me dies every time. Yes, visuals are powerful. But without written words we’d be lumps of eyeballs without a brain.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">17. You will learn more in three days of acting than in six months of researching (some anonymous redditor).</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">Yes. I love this. To hades with your analysis paralysis and just do it.</p><h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">18. If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster… treat those two impostors just the same (from Rudyard Kipling’s “If”).</h2><p data-selectable-paragraph="">I believe the poem “If” is meant for creators. Definitely worth reading. This is my favorite couplet. Success and failure are both the mere fuel of life. You are more than what you do and the results.</p><p data-selectable-paragraph=""><strong>I hope you enjoyed meeting some of my friends in this post. I’d appreciate your two-handed support 👏 and maybe share a comment below with a phrase or quote you live by. I look forward to adding to this list.</strong></p>

I ask myself this when I’m bored or unhappy or doing something unproductive. What could I be doing instead that would lead to greatness, for myself or others? Inaction is never a good story. I love…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

writing

Reading & Writing

creativity

Creativity

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

<p>I ask myself this when I’m bored or unhappy or doing something unproductive. What could I be doing instead that would lead to greatness, for myself or others? </p>

2. Take action or don’t call; what’s the better story?

<p>Inaction is never a good story. I love telling stories. I want to live a life full of stories. I know this is a mostly selfish motivation but I believe life is more beautiful with more stories. </p>

3. There’s nothing more unattractive than a still man.

<p>When I catch myself laggardly sprawled out on the couch and listless, I reprimand my inner beast with this saying. </p>

4. Teachers teach, coaches coach, entrepreneurs fail.

<p>One of my favorites. It’s what we do. And we do it unflinchingly. </p>

5. The greatest measure of intelligence is one’s ability to change (Albert Einstein).

<p>Change leads to discomfort. Discomfort causes growth. Growth fosters learning. Learning brings happiness. </p>

<p>Legitimate fear of mine. I’m scared of settling into a comfortable apathy about life. This is probably <a href="https://medium.com/series/adventures-in-entrepreneurship-14f8e3fc177f">why I move every three months </a>around the country with my wife and two cats. </p>

<p>I can’t stand writers who do nothing but write. I do my best to not be like that. Take a big risk. Then write about it. Don’t want to take risks but still want to write? Interview someone who does take risks. </p>

8. Use the fewest number of words possible without cheapening or reducing the idea.

<p>Ah, yes, this is my life’s challenge. Do not blab. Speak and write with austere efficiency. Words for the sake of word count are daggers. Do not waste words. </p>

9. If there’s an opportunity to jump in the water, you must jump in.

<p>This is not deep. It’s simple. If I encounter a lake, a pool, a river, a hot spring, or an ocean… whatever it is — I must disrobe and jump in. It’s shockingly uncomfortable but immediately and posthumously rewarding. </p>

10. If it’s truth, it should be able to stand up to anything.

<p>This informs my personal worldview. I don’t want to believe anything falsifiable or shallow. </p>

11. You can only judge someone if you know them completely 100% through and through.

<p>I can never know someone 100%, not even my closest relationships. Therefore, I do not judge anyone. But I do extend tough love 😜 </p>

12.  You can tell how smart a man is by the answers he gives, you can tell how wise he is by the questions he asks (Anonymous).

<p>When I first heard this in high school, I tattooed it onto my brain. I have a weird obsession with questions. I even made <a href="http://partyqs.com/">an app </a>with over 550 questions for group discussion. </p>

13. If you can’t come up with a positive reason for why you’re doing something, don’t do it.

<p>This helps me be intentional and thoughtful. I want to avoid being aimless and mindless in anything I do. Know your why and your confidence will be high. </p>

14. Don’t save money, find a way to make more.

<p>Perhaps the entrepreneur in me says this, but in today’s opportunistic society, why restrict your living when you can creatively figure out a way to make more income? Saving money is good and I do it, but my first instinct is to create another income stream before trying to save. </p>

15. Reading is inhaling, writing is exhaling. You need to inhale in order to exhale, and you need to do both to live.

<p>I love to write. But if I don’t read, my writing suffers. But if I read too much without writing, I start to shake. You need both. </p>

16. A picture’s worth a thousand words. That’s a thousands words your lazy brain is deprived of.

<p>More of a pet peeve than a real thing. People love to say this quote and a small part of me dies every time. Yes, visuals are powerful. But without written words we’d be lumps of eyeballs without a brain. </p>

17. You will learn more in three days of acting than in six months of researching (some anonymous redditor).

<p>Yes. I love this. To hades with your analysis paralysis and just do it. </p>

18. If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster… treat those two impostors just the same (from Rudyard Kipling’s “If”).

<p>I believe the poem “If” is meant for creators. Definitely worth reading. This is my favorite couplet. Success and failure are both the mere fuel of life. You are more than what you do and the results. </p>

<p><strong>I hope you enjoyed meeting some of my friends in this post. I’d appreciate your two-handed support 👏 and maybe share a comment below with a phrase or quote you live by. I look forward to adding to this list. </strong> </p>

18 Lessons I Live By

The epic alternative

Take action

The greatest measure of intelligence

Live a story worth writing about

ANONYMOUS

Be intentional

Don’t just save money

Reading is inhaling, writing is exhaling

You are more than you do

CURATED BY

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