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That which most often does us harm is that which lies outside of our conscious awareness. This is the primary reason why we must do everything within our power to increase our awareness of ourselves and the world we inhabit.

We often hear people advising us to simply go with the flow. I do not subscribe to that advice. There is a reason why boats and ships come with oars and rudders.

All useful therapy consists in supporting the patient in doing what only they can do, which is to heal themselves.

"Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose - a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye."

Mary W. Shelley

"Beginning with self-concern is the only sound approach to the solution of moral problems that involve other men and organized society, as well as one's own life..."

Mortimer Adler

It isn't the best ideas that change the world, but rather the good ideas which are acted upon.

"People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents."

Andrew Carnegie

"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we don't understand."

Frank Herbert

"Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought."

Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

• What is the problem?
• Why is this a problem?
• How can I solve the problem?
• Who can help solve the problem?
• When should I begin?
• Where can I find what I need to solve the problem?

It is never advisable to make important decisions when you are tired, hungry, angry or rushed.

I regularly ask people what their life's purpose is. More often than not I am met with a rather blank stare followed by a confused attempt to articulate something without understanding.

I find this more than a little bit baffling. How can you set priorities, choose between options or plan ahead if you don't have a clear goal in mind?

Aim for improvement and not perfection. Do not relinquish your right to be wrong and make mistakes. If you do you will have deprived yourself of the surest means of learning and moving forward.

Each and every one of us has a vast array of memories. This is inevitable. What is not inevitable is the memories we chose to recall and focus on. And, while it is useful to occasionally recall some bad memories in order to avoid repeating our mistakes, it is more important to spend time focusing on good memories. That is, if being happy is our aim.

"These are the characteristics of a rational soul: self-awareness, self-examination and self-determination."

Marcus Aurelius

One good reason to fight on is that if we were to give up now, all the suffering we had endured up until that point in our quest would have been in vain.

"Adventure isn't hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day-to-day obstacles of life - facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown, and in the process, discovering our own unique potential."

John Amatt

We are all born shackled in ignorance. There is nothing blameworthy in that. However, we are capable of escaping our ignorance if we are but willing to invest the time and energy to do so. Failing our responsibility to do so is indeed blameworthy.

"All original ideas are born in those minds well furnished by the ideas of their predecessors."

Perfection should never be the goal. In all cases it is crucial to understand just how good something needs to be in order to accomplish the goal as effectively and efficiently as possible. Sometimes, 'good enough' is 'good enough'.