I don’t like the motivational stuff, but here are my three favorite quotes

I’m always skeptical of “life coaches” and motivation gurus. You gotta be extraordinarily arrogant and dishonest to coach others how to live. No one — absolutely no one — on this planet has figured out the entire life equation: health, business and money, love, parenting, and relationships.

But I like some quotes. The other day my son sent a video by Tom Cruise where he says:

I know that things don’t just happen. It’s not just luck that you are. You know, you have to create that luck. You have to will it into existence.

I found the expression “Will” something “into existence” deeply profound. Tom Cruise isn’t just talking about working hard or doing what you like. He’s not talking about pursuing your dream. Well, he is. Everything — mental, physical, and metaphysical fits into the expression willing something into existence. Entrepreneurs, creators, and athletes — they will their luck, talents, dreams, and hard work into existence. And the expression works well for more trivial life situations. I met my wife twenty-four years ago by approaching her… I was shy and nerdy. She was a stranger. We were strangers floating in the vastness of the universe; there was nothing connecting us. But there was my will… And her will… I approached her and started talking. “Chatting up” is a more fitting expression. We stayed together from that very day, and we now have four kids. I enjoy writing, and I started writing here on Medium at the end of 2021…