You Must Do Something

“Pure love, careless of all things, kindles the soul.” -Seneca

“Let us be full of love. Let us tell those we love that we absolutely and totally love them. Let us answer with love to every situation and problem we face….Almost every situation is made better when it is full of love.” -Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic

“So many names, there is barely room on the walls of the heart.” -The final line from the poem, The Names, US poet laureate Billy Collins’ ode to the victims of the 9/11 attack. Read in full here. Listen in full here.

“You blame your prior convictions. But they’re not to blame. You yourself are to blame. You never understood that just having convictions doesn’t lead to success. You should have done something! -Maria Vasilyevna speaking to Voinitsky in Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov (Annie Baker adaptation)

“Thank you for the excellent company. I respect your, uh, way of thinking and your enthusiasm and spontaneity. But allow an old man some parting words–just one observation…Do something with your lives, ladies and gentlemen! You must always take action and do something!….I wish you all the best.” _Serebryakov’s parting advice in Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov (Annie Baker adaptation)

The bridge between knowing and doing is massive.

There are lots of people on one side. (The knowers.)

Very few on the other. (The doers.)

Love and action.

Be a doer.

Go make your art.

P.S. – On the 23rd Anniversary of 9/11, this voicemail.