Chris Matakas quotes:

This philosophy teaches us to leave safe harbor for the rough seas of real-world experience, and to accept that a rough copy out in the world serves us far greater than a masterpiece sitting quietly on our shelves.

When you give your weakness permission to be because you understand that it is simply an expression of your strength, it tends to no longer be a weakness.

Society is a collection of selves perpetuating their myth.

We see that the vast majority of our suffering is needless, and simply arises from the misidentification with our thinking mind.

The very fact that you can observe this thinking mind is proof that you are not this thinking mind.

The more we have outside ourselves the harder it is to get inside ourselves.

You are the space in which these thoughts arise, but not the thoughts themselves.

The possessions themselves were not the problem, it was my relationship with possessing.

If nothing lasts then everything has meaning. If everything dies that means we actually live.

Autopilot is great, and removal of thought is one of the highest ideals of training. But removal of thought in the moment must be preceded by purposeful thought beforehand.

We call it training. Not because we are training for Jiu Jitsu. We are training for life.

Deep down I believe each of us is a well-spring of understanding and wisdom, but we simply never allow the space or time for this understanding to rise to the level of conscious thought.

This constant mental diatribe and the frustrations, worries, insecurities and muscular tension that ensues are the self.

It is important to realize that we so often define ourselves by what is in opposition to ourselves.

We tend to view ourselves as this, lying in contradiction with everything that is not ourselves, that.

That nagging state of constant thought that exists somewhere between the ears and behind the eyes is the self.

Who you are as a person far outweighs what you do in an athletic arena.

This is what it means to be mindful. To watch the thoughts as they come and go without judgment while completely accepting what arises in the present moment.

For many of us, especially being so fortunate to live in a first-world country, the vast majority of pain we experience is due to the seriousness with which we identify with our thoughts.

Language has created a barrier that prevents us from seeing existence as it truly is.

Life is so unlikely, so rare and beautiful an opportunity it is to live, we must be on constant guard to ensure that our actions are worthy of the life it takes to perform them.

The best indicator of a man's philosophy is not what he reads or says, but the way in which he lives his life, the way in which he acts.

It was my letting go that gave me a better hold.

You have become more and therefore expect more, but never become too purpose-driven to step back and realize just how far you have progressed.

Self-improvement is generally a removal of a vice rather than an acquisition of a virtue.

We will never be capable of true relationships with others if we continue to view them as others.

We rise to meet each day because there will come a time when the day will rise without us

The only permanent aspect of creation is constant impermanence.

The rare opportunity to exist, no matter how brief, is worth the pain left in the wake of its disappearance.

Do not get caught pursuing the goals of who you used to be instead of who you are.

We are now forced to actively pursue our struggles. If we do not go out of our way to stretch our comfort zones and grow, no one nor nature will do it for us.

Constantly re-evaluating your purpose is the best way to ensure that you are pursuing the goals of who you are and not who you used to be.

Properly directed thoughts result in properly directed actions. The only way to appropriately guide our thoughts is to know their foundation, our values.

An intelligent consistency is the foundation of genius.

I would more appropriately define mastery as the technical ability possible within the constraints of your particular existence.

We must remember that science is a way of using empirical evidence to better understand our world. We are all scientists, just many of us are not very good ones. However, we are all capable of exercising our intellects in a purposeful, linear pursuit of knowledge.

The more specifically you define your goals the more attainable they become.

When we honestly take stock of our ability, we are then granted the opportunity to improve our circumstance. Accessing where you stand is the only way to stand somewhere else.

We must know where we want to go in order to get there. Our modern lives are growing increasingly chaotic, and it is only a clear, definitive purpose that will keep us on track.

When we know our values, we can easily measure whether or not our actions are in accordance with them. Values are the measuring sticks with which we determine the worthiness of our actions. To be better associated with one's own values is to remove a lot of the needless activities of daily life.

My time in the woods is time spent with a tutor on how to live.

This is a trust that you just cannot find in modern society for there are no conditions to forge it.

Every opportunity with another was an opportunity to serve my fellow man. Every moment alone was a chance to grow and become more of who I already was. I instantly felt how great a life could be, and that was only made possible by service toward others.

Your potential for growth is directly proportionate to the degree to which you are willing to make mistakes.