Full Sail-Full Steam

These are some of my favorite quotes from Seth Godin's latest book ~ "Linchpin".

Part poetry, part balm, it gave me a push towards being resilient again. The quotes in bold gave me life giving mouth-to-mouth CPR.


I am so thankful for his words of life. I forgot what I knew; he reminded me to play again. Create again.  


There is a fresh wind in my sails. I don't feel like this anymore; all washed up. 

(Photo ~ courtesy of my friend ~ Jim Martin)

"If you are deliberately trying to create a future that feels safe, you will willfully ignore the future that is likely."

"...money is a poor substitute for respect and thanks."

"Not only must you be an artist, you must be generous, and you must be able to see where you can help, but you must also be aware. Aware of where your skills are welcomed." 

"...Instead, there's an ever-enlarging circle, a circle where gifts are valued and passed on."

"The most successful givers aren't doing it because they're being told to, they do it because doing it is fun. It gives them joy."

"The intent of the giver and the posture of the recipient are critical."

"Artists don't give gifts for money. They do it for respect and connection and to cause change, so the best recipients are the ones who can reciprocate in kind."

"Every artist I've ever met wants to build bonds, wants to cause connections to be made."

"For some artists, the benefits are all internal. Creating art is an intrinsic good, something they enjoy. They don't want anything, don't see anything, and if they're particularly resolute, won't get anything.'

"It is possible to destroy an artist by refusing his gifts."

"Some people are gift givers by nature. They love their tribe, or they respect their art, and so they give, not for an ulterior motive, but because it gives them joy."

"A priceless gift has been given, one that can never be valued monetarily or paid for or reciprocated. The benefit to the artist is the knowledge that you changed in some way, not that you will repay him."

"If I give you a piece of art, you shouldn't be required to work hard to reciprocate, because reciprocation is an act of keeping score, which involves monetizing the art, not appreciating it."

"A surplus always creates a surplus as it spreads."

"Art is a gift, a gift from the artist to the viewer, the listener, the user. The moment it ceases to be a gift, some of the art is lost."

"There are many forms of equity, and few of them involve cash."

"When you invest time or resources into someone's success or happiness and your payment is a share of that outcome, you become partners."

"Real gifts don't demand reciprocation...the best kinds of gifts are gifts of art."

"When we meet a stranger, we do business. When we encounter a member of the tribe, we give gifts."

"It's difficult to be generous when you're hungry. Yet being generous keeps you from going hungry. Hence the conflict."

"You best give a gift without knowing or being concerned with whether it will be repaid"

"The people who have experienced this and fought back-by quitting when they were stuck, tell me that the feeling of liberation and new potential is incredible. Suddenly, they can get back to doing the work, to making a difference, and to engaging with a community."

"There's not a lot to fear when you're stuck in the dip, not a lot that can threaten your standing."

"When you set down the path to create art, whatever sort of art it is, understand that the path is neither short nor easy”.  

"So it's just a matter of throwing myself under the bus and crawling my way out."

"It takes crazy discipline to do nothing between projects."

"Where did your art go while you were tweeting?”

"Anxiety is needless and imaginary. It's fear about fear, fear that means nothing."

"Letting silence into your day gives the daemon (genius) a chance to be heard from."

"Embrace the itch from the start, but don't scratch it. To do otherwise is to lose all perspective."

"The quiet strength it takes to withstand the urge to flee builds confidence in those around you."

"Waiting isn't easy, which is precisely why it is so effective when engaging with other people."

"...over come your fear of creativity, brainstorming, intelligent risk-taking, or navigating a tricky situation...sprint."

"It takes preparation and effort to set the world up so that your ideas are more likely to ship."

"The brevity of the event is a key part of why it works."

"When it find a useful crutch, a loser's limp, the resistance will milk it for all it's worth."

"Play only for people you like, with people you enjoy. How can the lizard brain object to that?"

"The resistance is working overtime to be sure that you won't actually do anything remarkable."

"Power used to be about giving, not getting"