"Caring is cool. You are not going to be the best anything—including the best version of yourself—with an attitude of nonchalance. Try hard and give a damn. When you hold yourself back because you fear failure or looking uncool, you sacrifice growth and potential (and mastery and fulfillment and intimacy and love and all the other good stuff in life) for short-term safety and comfort. It’s a trap. Get over it. Fear, doubt, and insecurity are all part of human nature. You can either go through the motions and be superficially cool (but actually boring). Or you can step into the arena, lay it on the line, care deeply, make yourself vulnerable, and fully live your one and only life. The world doesn’t need more mediocrity or going through the motions. The world needs more people putting themselves out there and giving it their all. The world needs more people who have the guts to care. Try hard and give a damn." This text comes directly from The Way of Excellence. Victor Wembanyama just led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals. He embodies a central idea in the book: he is not scared to lay it on the line. He cares deeply. He makes himself vulnerable. It’s core to living a big and textured life. bit.ly/4uCzeQ7

In a society that glorifies grinding, short-term gains, and pushing to extremes, it takes guts to rest. Humans are not machines. The biggest breakthroughs tend to follow periods of rest and renewal. You do not have to feel guilty about resting.