55 short maxims for life
44 harsh truths About human nature.
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“Life is short, live it. Love is rare, grab it. Anger is bad, dump it. Fear is awful, face it. Memories are sweet, cherish them.” — Anonymous
The quest for a good life has been a central pursuit our lives. Throughout history, great thinkers have contemplated the nature of existence, the meaning of happiness, and the path to fulfilment. Maxims help me focus on the essentials of life. They are short, memorable phrases that provide wisdom and insight into how to live a fulfilling life.
Whether facing a difficult decision, experiencing a setback, or simply trying to find our way, maxims can provide the clarity and direction you need. While pursuing a good life is deeply personal and subjective, these maxims offer a framework for reflection and action.
They encourage us to examine our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours and to make conscious choices that align with our values.They invite us to engage in lifelong learning, unlearning, and reevaluating our perspectives. And remind us that the path to a good life is not a destination but a continuous evolution of the self. Each maxim below summarise a nugget of wisdom, distilled into a concise statement that invites contemplation and self-reflection.
Hope they are useful for your unique path.
Seek to understand before being understood.
Begin with purpose. End with reflection. Repeat.
Nurture your close friendships. Your happiness depends on it.
Approach life with a sense of wonder and a desire to learn and explore.
Spend time alone to reflect, rejuvenate, and discover your inner self.
Speak less to impress, and more to connect.
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” — Helen Keller
Take ownership of your actions and their consequences.
Seek knowledge and wisdom from many sources.
Keep good company, and be good company in return.
Learn from everyone and everything.
“The greatest wealth is to live content with little.” — Plato
Own your choices—every ripple begins with you.
Express your soul through creativity—it’s your gift to give.
Find joy and happiness in the little things.
Start your day with intention and end it on purpose.
Make learning a lifelong experience.
Let your inner child teach you how to wonder again.
Balance pursuing with stillness—both are part of becoming.
Uncomfortable conversations with yourself is how you grow.
Be a student of life, always learning, always listening.
“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” — Sam Levenson
Pursue your true north; your happiness depends on it.
See how everything connects; let that insight guide your journey.
Be true to who you are, regardless of social validation.
Embrace simplicity and minimise clutter in your life.
Live each day as if it’s a miracle and a gift.
“Do more than believe: practice.” — William Arthur Ward
Let your curiosity be louder than your doubt.
Use self-reflection to recharge and reconnect with yourself.
Don’t sweat the small and big stuff you can’t control.
Face the unknown not with fear, but with trust in your resilience.
Foster a sense of wonder and stay curious about the world around you.
Even in hard times, focus on possibilities rather than limitations.
Take time to disconnect from technology and connect with nature.
Practice gratitude for the lessons in adversity.
“It is not the years in your life, but the life in your years that counts.” — Abraham Lincoln
Live with wonder, love with depth, and walk with intention.
Everything that irritates you about others is key to self-awareness.
Letting go of regrets to embrace the present fully.
Don’t take yourself too seriously all the time.
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” — John Wooden
Let go of resentments to free yourself from emotional burdens.
Be one with change, seek growth, and live with gratitude.
Defend your time like your life depends on it.
The good life is inspired by curiosity and guided by knowledge.
Choose continuous learning in your actions and decisions.
Choose and pursue work that aligns with your interests and curiosities.
Recognise the transient nature of all things. Appreciate the present.
Cultivate patience. Some things unfold in their own time.
Let go of attachments to things. Find freedom in detachment.
Align your life with nature’s cycles and find balance in rest and activity.
“Wish not so much to live long as to live well.” — Benjamin Franklin
“There are no guarantees in life.” — Bill Walton
“The purpose of life is not to be happy, but to matter, to be productive, to be useful, to have it make some difference that you lived at all.” — Leo Rosten
Featured free read on Medium
—> All the Best-Selling Self-Help Books, Boiled Down to 20 Simple Rules
# 14. Detach from the drama of the mind to find clarity
(The Power of Now, The Untethered Soul, As a Man Thinketh, The Miracle Morning)
You are not your thoughts — observe them, don’t obey them.
Don’t obsess over the problems in your life.
Replace negative self-talk with actionable beliefs.
Think solutions, not everything wrong with your life.
Your emotions follow your focus — direct it wisely.
A podcast I’m enjoying
On the Modern Wisdom podcast, investor and entrepreneur Naval Ravikant shares his philosophy on winning the game of life, touching on everything from happiness and success to selfishness and acting on inspiration. "Inspiration is perishable. Act on it immediately. So when you’re inspired to do something, do that thing... If I want to learn something, I do it at the moment of curiosity. The moment the curiosity arrives, I go learn that thing immediately. I download the book, I get on Google, I get on ChatGPT, whatever, I will figure that thing out on the spot, and that’s when the learning happens.
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Until Next Week,
Be Well.
Thomas
“Aging is no accident. It is necessary to the human condition, intended by the soul. We become more characteristic of who we are simply by lasting into later years; the older we become, the more our true natures emerge. Thus the final years have a very important purpose: the fulfillment and confirmation of one’s character.” —James Hillman
Postanly Weekly is a reader-supported smarter living newsletter. To support my work, you can upgrade to a paid subscription for $9 per month or $60 for an entire year. Or choose from my first-ever “forever” sliding scale discount options ( 70% off, 60% off or 50% off). Pick what’s right for you. Your modest donation keeps Postanly Weekly going. Download my free books here.
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