Tripp Lanier

Bottom line: instead of committing to success—whatever that might mean—let’s recognize the opportunity to commit to what strengthens us. Let’s commit to what empowers us to experience greater freedom, aliveness, love, and peace.

When we understand that we’re playing for the experiences we most want, then we want to be willing to destroy the path or the vision or the picture in our mind if it becomes a limitation. We want to challenge our preconceived ideas of how things are supposed to be or how we should be. Why? Because it would all be for squat if following our ‘big plan’ deprived us of experiencing freedom, aliveness, love, and peace.

I found a Bruce Lee quote that says... ‘Freedom discovers a man the moment he loses concern over what impression he is making or about to make.’

This means that throughout our lives, the purpose of what we want—to experience freedom aliveness, love, and peace—will stay constant. But the missions—the pathways and practices that empower those experiences—will change. Missions change, but the purpose of our missions does not.

I want this book to be a reminder to laugh at our fears and mistakes and shortcomings. It’s a reminder we don’t need to be perfect. That even if we fall off the horse often, the key is to simply get back on.

Now, here’s the deal ... we don’t want to be like that moron at the gym who thinks he’s going to turn around seven years of sitting on the couch in one afternoon. Pick one area and just focus there. Start small. Go slow. Stretching and pushing ourselves too much and too quickly is a recipe for misery and anxiety.

We don’t have to be overwhelmed or crippled with stress because we’ve taken on too much. And we certainly don’t have to stay stuck because we’re avoiding it either. We don’t even have to analyze or try to figure out why we have resistance. Instead, we can simply ask ourselves, What’s the very next simple step I could take? Then go do it—let’s see if it makes us stronger.

Bottom line: We get stronger when we relax our attachment to expectations, comparisons, and achievements, and instead focus more on the activities and relationships and processes that have us feel more expansive. Striving to be the best is a trap, but bringing our best to what we do allows us to live with greater freedom and possibility. Especially if we’re willing to get over how we may appear to others.

We don’t have to make everything such a big deal. After all—comparatively speaking—we’re basically just a speck of dust on an infinitely small rock hurtling through one of trillions of galaxies in what is ultimately just a blink in a span of time our brains can’t even begin to comprehend. Maybe—just maybe—whatever that mouth-breather Jerry has to say about your presentation isn’t such a big deal.