Psychology

The reality is – you can't accomplish anything unless you're all in emotionally, physically… you have to put it all on the table. You can't just put a little part of you out there in case you get hurt… guess what… everything about competition will hurt. The losses hurt… a huge wipe out hurts…. Breaking a board and getting hit on the head, that hurts. The more you do it – the more you build a mental scar tissue that you can lean on – That's the 'stuff' that lets you pick up the pieces and go again.

Professional surfer and multiple-time world championship competitor

I think most limits are self imposed. The limits we place on ourselves are between our ears – it's our minds telling us we could never do X, or achieve Y. It's our minds deciding what is possible, or impossible. Guess what… when you go out and do something you thought was impossible, it expands your perspective on everything.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

To me, the very definition of success is living up to your potential – and the very definition of failure is not living up to your potential, simple.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

I have this feeling that everyone should run a marathon once in their life- like a rite-of-passage. Most people think, 'that's not me, I could never run a marathon!' That's precisely why you should do it – a marathon is a way of proving to yourself that you're better than you think- that you can go further- and endure more.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

Running is beautiful and simple – you just put one foot in front of the other at an accelerated pace. There's something primordial about it though – something within us – it's like we're born to run... in this modern era, people choose to run we don't have to run – we're not being pursued by Saber-Toothed Tigers anymore, but we still choose to run. It's something to do which is hard, it connects us to something – and when life gets easy, to feel alive, we need to do something hard.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

On the night of my 30th birthday, I was at a bar in San Francisco... I walked out of that bar at midnight, drunk. I didn't even own running gear, I had some comfortable silk boxer shorts on – took off my pants – and took off down an alleyway stumbling south without knowing that a town called Half Moon Bay was nearly 30 miles away. When the alcohol wore off, I had this epiphany. I looked up and saw heaven – I saw the stars – it was the first moment of clarity I had since I'd given up running. It made me realise that perhaps I was on this earth to be a runner – I wasn't happy being a business guy, it was making me miserable. I was comfortable, but miserable.

Ultramarathon runner known for extreme endurance feats and adventures

Despite being a perpetrator, Holmes began with a noble objective: to create a technology that would benefit society. We're well aware that her venture veered off course, but her initial intention was rooted in altruism. Perhaps the adage 'fake it 'til you make it' took on a life of its own in her case.

Theranos founder convicted of fraud for deceiving investors about blood-testing technology

He was a powerful figure who amassed considerable wealth for a select few—if they were fortunate and early enough in his scheme. Despite the exorbitant returns that should have raised eyebrows, those benefitting often turned a blind eye, choosing not to question the source of their profits. Yes, there were individuals who asked probing questions, but Madoff had crafted such an aura of invulnerability around himself that any questioning was met with swift exclusion from his investment circle. He was effectively untouchable.

Perpetrator of Largest Ponzi Scheme in US History

Starting a business is an exciting venture, often filled with enthusiasm, borrowed money, and a fair share of ignorance. In fact, a certain level of ignorance can be beneficial for an entrepreneur. If you were fully aware of the potential obstacles ahead, you might hesitate to start.

The Buddha would calmly invite Mara to have tea, demonstrating the importance of befriending what's difficult. The key is learning how to have tea with Mara and embrace even the most intense energies.

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

Our suffering arises from the unseen, unfelt, and unprocessed parts of our psyche, or the 'issues in our tissues.' We often frame emotions as negative, but it's important to recognize the intelligence within every emotion, even depression, fear, and hurt.

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

I believe that the more we trust the 'gold' within ourselves, the more we are able to see it in others. When we interact with others, we can either fixate on their anxieties or performance concerns, or we can attune our receptors to truly sense the genuineness, curiosity, and care within them.

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

The more we recognize that we are the ocean and the waves represent different aspects of our being, the less any individual wave of difficulty will consume, overwhelm, or define us. We can remember that while these waves are a part of us, they do not encompass our entire existence.

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

It seems to be a part of our evolutionary journey to feel separate, living within the confines of an ego-driven narrative, experiencing a sense of limitation and disconnection from others. In essence, we suffer from a mistaken identity, identifying ourselves as individuals rather than recognizing our interconnectedness.

Meditation Teacher & Author of "Radical Acceptance

You cannot fully realize your own self in isolation. It's a collective effort; your uniqueness is essentially shaped by everyone else in the world. Everyone else plays a role in sculpting your distinct identity. Individuality is essentially a community project.

Founding Executive Editor of Wired Magazine & Technology Thinker

While pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Painful events are a given in life, but the transformation of this pain into enduring suffering lies within our control. The critical aspect isn't the adversity one faces, but how one responds to such adversity. This reaction, rather than the events themselves, forms the narrative of our lives.

Founding Executive Editor of Wired Magazine & Technology Thinker