23 When I played [basketball], I really didn't pay that much attention to what people wrote about me. I didn't close my eyes exactly — I was always aware of what went on around me — but I mainly kept my own counsel because what I did was never for anyone else's approval. All I was ever interested in was to do what I did as best I could. Period.

Bill Russell from Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT OR DISCUSSION:
What is my capacity for keeping my own counsel? Do I look outside of myself to determine what I should think about my work and myself? Am I searching for approval from someone else? How can I learn to incorporate feedback and develop my own opinion of how well I am doing?

24 Being impeccable is not going against yourself. When you are impeccable, you take responsibility for your actions, but you do not judge or blame yourself.

Don Miguel Ruiz from The Four Agreements: A Toltec Wisdom Book

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT OR DISCUSSION:
Do I take responsibility for my own actions and how they impact others? When I have made a mistake, do I own it and set things right? What is my capacity for being compassionate toward myself, rather than becoming harsh and judgmental with myself?

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25 I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness... Happiness is determined more by one's state of mind than by external events... Once our basic needs [for food, clothing, and shelter] are met, the message is clear: we don't need more money, we don't need greater success or fame, we don't need the perfect body or even the perfect mate — right now, at this very minute, we have a mind, which is all the basic equipment we need to achieve complete happiness.

The Dalai Lama from The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT OR DISCUSSION:
Do I believe that it is possible for me to be happy? Am I looking to something or someone outside of myself to make me happy? How can I use the power of my mind to be happy now, just the way I am?

26 Whenever you are stuck with a problem, try something new. Do something — just one thing — different. Break the pattern of the problem. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!

Bill O'Hanlon from Do One Thing Different

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT OR DISCUSSION:
Where in my life am I doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? What is one thing I could do differently in relation to this problem?

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