3-2-1: On the source of inspiration, the bond between love and grief, and the power of hope

Happy 3-2-1 Thursday!

Here are 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider this week...

I.

"Inspiration comes on the twenty-fifth attempt, not the first. If you want to make something excellent, don't wait for a brilliant idea to strike. Create twenty-five of what you need and one will be great. Inspiration reveals itself after you get the average ideas out of the way, not before you take the first step."

​II.

"You can't change your past, but you can reframe it.

Find the lesson in it. Find the opportunity in it. Pull the teachable moment out of it and share with others.

You can't choose your history, but you can choose the story you tell about it."

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III.

"Two years, not two months.

The visible progress you're hoping for usually comes slower than you'd like. Even with consistent effort it can take a long time before progress feels significant. It might be a year of writing and editing before the book really starts to come together. You may need two years of recovery from a major injury before you notice just how far you've come. It may take two years of yoga before you realize how flexible you have become.

Take a deep breath, stop worrying about immediate results, and settle into a nice routine."

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I.

Writer Heidi Priebe on love and grief:

"As long as there is love, there will be grief. The grief of time passing, of life moving on half-finished, of empty spaces that were once bursting with the laughter and energy of people we loved.

As long as there is love there will be grief because grief is love's natural continuation. It shows up in the aisles of stores we once frequented, in the half-finished bottle of wine we pour out, in the whiff of cologne we get two years after they've been gone.

Grief is a giant neon sign, protruding through everything, pointing everywhere, broadcasting loudly, "Love was here." In the finer print, quietly, "Love still is."

Source: Instagram ​
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​II.

Chinese writer and literary critic Lu Xun on the power of hope:

"Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence."

Source: Epigrams of Lusin (hat tip to Dylan O'Sullivan)

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What weight are you carrying unnecessarily?

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https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/september-19-2024

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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. 1% better every d—wait, oh no...

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