Stick to the Code
“Take what you need, let go of the rest.”
After reading snippets of 48 Laws of Power a few years ago I learned that we won’t always 100% agree with the messenger. While I can name several reasons why this book and the “laws” stated should be taken lightly, there are several more that resonate in my journey.
On the contrary, I just finished reading my second Bell Hooks piece, All About Love, and my highlighter went crazy the past couple of months (yes, it takes me a while sometimes :/) Seriously, I stan all the people in this world who make it their duty to pass on the timeless knowledge that will outlive their own existence.
While I could add good vs. bad labels to both, I’ve chosen not to. Compared to one another, each experience was like night and day - but I stayed open to understanding lessons from both.
“Everything we seek can only be found in the present. ”
48 Laws of Power by. Robert Greene
Use history to inform your decisions in the present so you don’t repeat the same mistakes.
Always say less than necessary. Sometimes we get too ahead of ourselves.
You gain more by finding a rich mine and mining it deeper than by flitting from one shallow mine to another - intensity defeats extensity every time.
Plan all the way to the end
Assume formlessness. Everything changes.
All About Love by. Bell Hooks
The presence of light is not a result of the darkness ending.
Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice.
Love is the will to extend one self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth.
Everything we seek can only be found in the present.
Just like these two books, you can learn from any moment in life. Sometimes, we actually learn more in the chapters that seem to take the most from us while we’re in the thick of it.
If you only focus on the darkness in a situation, that’s all you’ll see. Holding on to what doesn’t serve you is like creating your own little world of constant suffering - who tf wants to live like that? But realistically a lot of us choose the latter unintentionally.
Here’s my reminder to notice when you’re being your own worst enemy. Pause, reflect, dig deep on the lessons. Take what you need, but don’t let it consume you.
We can’t control every aspect of our lives, but what is a guarantee is that we can always decide how to interpret what we see.
If you could give your life in the past few months a book title, what would it be?