Sam Harris

"We often behave in ways that are guaranteed to make us unhappy."

— Sam Harris

American Writer

1967 -

This quote comes from the book entitled, Lying, by Sam Harris and I find it very profound.  How many times have you been attracted to doing something that was not in your best interests?  Be honest with yourself.  It has happened many times in my life and I often gave into the desire.  Like the candy bar I didn't need or that second piece of pie.  Or choosing to sleep a little longer instead of getting out of bed and either exercising or writing.  And while these things I mention do not seem to have serious consequences, ultimately they will.   Have you ever gotten angry over what a loved one said?  We know we shouldn't get angry and yell at people but we do.  

And the exciting thing is we can choose not to behave in ways that make us unhappy.  We can choose not to do the thing that will cause us harm.  Are you writing a book?  Don't give in to your desire to procrastinate and miss your deadlines.  Are you painting enough pictures to have your own gallery show?  Don't give in to the desire to procrastinate.  The choices we make help determine our happiness.  Are you making the right choices?  And don't lie to yourself.

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Caroline Myss

"Always go with the choice that scares you the most, because that's the one that is going to require the most from you."

— Caroline Myss

American Author

1952 -

Through out life we are faced with choices.  Some are easy to make and some are difficult, but the choices that require courage are the ones that will teach us the most.  Being an artist can be a courageous choice if our parents and siblings stand against us.  Choosing to leave a secure job with benefits to paint or write full-time can be a courageous act.  The choices we make help to define who we are and who we become.  What choices are you making today that require courage?  What choices are you making that will challenge and teach you the most?  

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Henri-Frederic Amiel

"Learn to limit yourself, to content yourself with some definite thing, and some definite work; dare to be what you are, and to learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not and to believe in your own individuality."

Henri-Frederic Amiel

Swiss Philosopher/Poet

1821 - 1881

Sometimes the world we live in can be overwhelming.  There are too many choices.  Which direction should we take.  If I do this, then I will miss out on that.  Have you ever felt that way?  Paralyzed by too many choices?  I have.  After graduating from college, I didn't know which way to go.  I was afraid to choose because I might miss something, so I did nothing.  When we come to a fork in the road, we have to make a choice.  And when we take that path, we need to follow it to the next fork.  And again, we must make a decision.  But no one decision will destroy us.  I firmly believe that each path we choose ultimately leads us to where we are supposed to go.  In the end we become who we are supposed to be.

Amiel is also talking about strengths and weaknesses.  People tend to focus their attention on their weaknesses and try to improve them.  I believe we should focus on improving our strengths.  We need to accept our weaknesses and learn to navigate around them.  Be the person you were meant to be.  Accept your individuality and your originality.

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Charlotte Bronte

"I'm just going to write because I cannot help it."

— Charlotte Bronte

English Novelist/Poet

1816 - 1855

Do you have an urge to create?  To paint?  To write?  The desire must run deep if you want to succeed.  If you pick up a pen because you are interested in the fame and fortune, forget.  There are easier ways to make money.  Invest in stocks.  Writers write because they have no choice.  Painters paint because the choice has been made for them.   There is something deep inside all artists that demands that they create even when the odds are against them.  They cannot help it.

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Denis Waitley

"There are two primary choices in life:  to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

— Denis Waitley

American Speaker/Writer

1933 - 

Do you accept your world as it is or are you willing to change it and make it better?  As creative leaders we have a choice —  to make things better or leave them as they are.  If you are unhappy with your life, then change it.  If you are not happy with your art, then change yourself.  Practice more.  Study more.  Create more.  Life is about choice.  Don't waste time blaming others.  Don't blame your parents.  Don't blame God.  Don't blame your education.  The choice is yours.  Choose to be a winner.

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Jasper Johns

"As one gets older one sees many more paths that could be taken.  Artists sense within their own work that kind of swelling of possibilities, which may seem a freedom or a confusion."

— Jasper Johns

American Artist

1930 -

Fool's House
(1962)

When I begin to write a short story, I see many paths for the story to take and I have to make choices.  The excitement comes in the choosing.  Sometimes the path ends and I have to retreat and find another path.  Sometimes the path branches and again I have to choose which direction to go.  The same is true when I start a painting.  So many paths.  So many possibilities.  And the same is true of life.  So many paths.  So many choices.  Some become paralyzed by having too many choices.  After I graduated from college, I was paralyzed because I did not know what to do with my life.  Too many choices.  Or in my mind, too few choices.  Once I made a choice, the path began to take shape and I followed it where I needed to go.  And I arrived where I was supposed to be.

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J. K. Rowling

"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

— J. K. Rowling

British Novelist

1965 - 

The choices we make help determine the person we become and what we accomplish.  Did you choose to write today or to watch TV?  Did you choose to help a stranger or did you buy something for yourself?  We make choices every minute of every day.  Did you choose to brush your teeth or comb your hair?  And these decisions impact our lives.  Some decisions have an impact immediately and others take years to materialize.  When I was in my 20's and 30's I played volleyball.  I was known for diving without knee pads on asphalt and hardwood floors to save a ball.  I felt very little pain at the time.  Now 30 years later those dives have come back to haunt my knees and me.  What choices are you making to day that will impact you tomorrow.  Again, I ask:  did you write or paint today?  Or did you go to a movie?  The choices we make tell us who we are, not whom we want to be.

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Saul Bellow

"Everyone needs his memories.  They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door."

— Saul Bellow

Canadian Novelist

1915 - 2005

Human beings have a need to feel good about themselves.  Even those who have done evil deeds have a way justifying what they have done.  They do not believe that they are bad people.  They use their memories to justify the person they have become.  And on the flip side, even the most successful and influential people sometimes feel as if they have accomplished nothing.  They remember only the negative events in their lives and become depressed.

Our memories are very powerful and they influence the lives we lead.  We all are selective in the memories that we retain.  We choose how we remember our past and what we believe about ourselves.  We are defined by one memory alone, but some of us live that way.   Choose wisely the memories that you keep and let go of those that trouble you.

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