Mental resilience is arguably the most critical trait of a world-class performer, and it should be nurtured continuously. Left to my own devices, I a… - Joshua Waitzkin

When uncomfortable, my instinct is not to avoid the discomfort but to become at peace with it.

Mental resilience is arguably the most critical trait of a world-class performer, and it should be nurtured continuously.

My instinct is always to seek out challenges as opposed to avoiding them.

The human mind defines things in relation to one another — without light the notion of darkness would be unintelligible

In the absence of continual external reinforcement, we must be our own monitor, and quality of presence is often the best gauge. We cannot expect to touch excellence if “going through the motions” is the norm of our lives. On the other hand, if deep, fluid presence becomes second nature, then life, art, and learning take on a richness that will continually surprise and delight. Those who excel are those who maximize each moment’s creative potential — for these masters of living, presence to the day-to-day learning process is akin to that purity of focus others dream of achieving in rare climactic moments when everything is on the line. The secret is that everything is always on the line. The more present we are at practice, the more present we will be in competition, in the boardroom, at the exam, the operating table, the big stage. If we have any hope of attaining excellence, let alone of showing what we’ve got under pressure, we have to be prepared by a lifestyle of reinforcement. Presence must be like breathing.

the study of numbers to leave numbers, or form to leave form.