May 2, 2024

“The pathless path has been my way to release myself from the achievement narrative that I had been unconsciously following”

1:56 PM

“that most people, including myself, have a deep desire to work on things that matter to them and bring forth what is inside them.”

1:56 PM

“life scripts,” which they describe as “culturally shared expectations as to the order and timing of life events in a prototypical life course.”[2](private://read/01hwd63rng9b2hyx5pmhw2b2s8/#endnote-content-2)”

1:56 PM

“We are convinced that the only way forward is the path we’ve been on or what we’ve seen people like us do. This is a silent conspiracy that constrains the possibilities of our lives.”

1:56 PM

“I am inspired by what the writer Leo Rosten once argued was the purpose of life: “to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well”

1:56 PM

“in all men’s lives at certain periods…one of the most dominant elements is the desire to be inside the local Ring and the terror of being left outside.”[14](private://read/01hwd63rng9b2hyx5pmhw2b2s8/#endnote-content-14)”

1:56 PM

“Now I wanted not only to break into this exclusive world but also to rid myself of the shame I felt that weekend, the feeling that I was not good enough.”

1:56 PM

“In describing the power of the inner ring, C.S. Lewis warns that, ”unless you take measures to prevent it, this desire is going to be one of the chief motives of your life, from the first day on which you enter your profession until the day when you are too old to care.” He believed “any other kind of life, if you lead it, will be the result of conscious and continuous effort.””

2:07 PM

“The philosopher Andrew Taggart believes that crisis moments lead to “existential openings” that force us to grapple with the deepest questions about life.[16](private://read/01hwd63rng9b2hyx5pmhw2b2s8/#endnote-content-16) He argues there are two typical ways this happens. One is the “way of loss,” when things that matter are taken from us, such as loved ones, our health, or a job. The other path is the “way of wonderment,” when we are faced with moments of undeniable awe and inspiration.”

2:59 PM

“> What was I living for? > > What did I really want? > > How did I want to look back on my life when it was my time to go? Difficult questions but ones that”

3:04 PM