“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Did you know that it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig in Switzerland? It qualifies as animal abuse because, like us, guinea pigs are social animals that easily get lonely.
The Failure Lie
Failure is really just a misunderstanding.
Imagine that you set out to hike a mountain.
You’re nervous.
But excited.
Only an hour into the hike, you twist your ankle and have to turn around.
Did you fail?
No. You just hurt yourself. You need to go home, heal, and maybe get some better boots. Then you can try again in a few months.
Take another scenario…
Halfway up the mountain, you’re more tired than you expected. You look up and can’t see the peak. Your pace has slowed and you might not even be able to finish before nightfall. The mountain has exposed your naivety and your unpreparedness.
Discouraged, you turn around and go home.
Did you fail?
Well, only if you believe you failed.
If you go home, learn from your mistakes, and try again in 6 months, then you definitely didn’t fail! In fact, that “failure” became an asset to your future success — a vital and necessary asset.
Failure is an illusion.
It’s not evidence of your inadequacy.
It’s the lessons you need to learn to achieve your goals.
Re-Reading
Great books contain great truths.
That’s what makes them great.
And while hundreds of new books fly onto shelves in the self-help and personal development departments every year, timeless books remain.
New is sexy.
But books that stand the test of time deserve your attention — not just once, but over and over again.
Books like…
- The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
- Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Just like you catch new things when you re-watch a movie, or remember the lyrics to a song with repetition, important truths stick longer and delve deeper when you re-read them.
This Week’s 5-Min Video
This Week’s Riddle
Here’s this week’s riddle — the answer is at the bottom of the email!
Who spends the day at the window, goes to the table for meals, and hides at night?
He’s also not a particularly welcome dinner guest.
This Week’s Journaling Prompt
Take some time to think through the following journaling prompt.
What’s a lie you’ve bought into that has held you back? Why is it now time to let go of believing that lie?
This Week’s Challenge
Start re-reading a book that had a big impact on you. New might be sexy. But it’s the simple, powerful truths that need remembering. Repetition deepens on our understanding of those truths.
Riddle Answer: A fly.