3-2-1: On living with lightness, the root cause of sin, and how to compete without losing yourself

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

Before we begin, a quick surprise from MasterClass...

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And now, here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...

I.

"Clarity is freedom. Know what is important to you and it will grant you the freedom to ignore everything else."

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​II.

"When you're on the field, play as if nothing else matters.

When you're off the field, remember that the game doesn't matter at all."

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III.

"Dreams are fun when they are distant. The imagination loves to play with possibilities when there is no risk of failure.

But when you find yourself on the verge of action, you pause. You can feel the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Thoughts swirl. Maybe this isn't the right time? Failure is possible now.

In that moment—in that short pause that arises when you stand face to face with your dream—is the entirety of life. What you do in that pause is the crucible that forges you. It is the dividing line between being the type of person who thinks about it or the type of person who goes for it.

When I really think about it, I want that moment to be my legacy. Not that I won or lost. Not that I looked good or looked like a fool. But that when I had something I really wanted to do, I went for it."

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I.

French philosopher Simone Weil encourages us to search the root cause:

"All sins are attempts to fill voids."

Source: Gravity and Grace​​
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​II.

Aldous Huxley on approaching life with lightness, even in the face of difficulty:

"It's dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you're feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig.

Lightly, lightly – it's the best advice ever given me... So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly."

Source: Island ​

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When are you seized by the thrill of what you are trying to accomplish?

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Want to share this issue of 3-2-1 via text, social media, or email? Just copy and paste this link:

https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/august-29-2024

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Until next week,

James Clear
​Atomic Habits, the #1 best-selling book
​Atoms, the official Atomic Habits app
​3-2-1 newsletter with 3 million subscribers

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p.s. Step One: Know Thy Enemy

p.p.s. Hat tip to Lance Breitstein for reminding me to use Idea #2 in today's issue.

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