successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursui… - Joshua Waitzkin

Once we learn how to use adversity to our advantage, we can manufacture the helpful growth opportunity without actual danger or injury. I call this tool the internal solution — we can notice external events that trigger helpful growth or performance opportunities, and then internalize the effects of those events without their actually happening. In this way, adversity becomes a tremendous source of creative inspiration.

there are clear distinctions between what it takes to be decent, what it takes to be good, what it takes to be great, and what it takes to be among the best. If your goal is to be mediocre, then you have a considerable margin for error. You can get depressed when fired and mope around waiting for someone to call with a new job offer. If you hurt your toe, you can take six weeks watching television and eating potato chips.

Not so much to do a big brainstorm, but to tap what you've been working on
unconsciously overnight. Which of course, is a principle that Hemingway wrote
about when he spoke about the two core principles in his creative writing
process, number one ending the workday with something left to write and — So not doing everything he had to do. Which most people do, but they
feel this sense of guilt if they're not working. You and I have discussed this at
length, but leaving something left to write and then the second principle, release
your mind from it. Don't think about it all night. Really let go. Have a glass of
wine. Then wake up first thing in the morning and reapply your mind to it.