I want you to live a good life.
But most importantly, I want you to live a meaningful life.
That’s my main goal with Wisdom Quotes.
And you know what?
I know you can improve your life because I did it.
Yes, I still have bad days. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve also been depressed and confused but that’s part of life.
However,
I’ve never been more peaceful than today. And the more I live, the more I discover how to live.
That’s what I want to share with you on wisdomquotes.com
Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion toward men and toward objective things. Albert Einstein
Now, a little secret…
In 2004, I lost my girlfriend in a car accident.
Then, I discovered quotes and they literally saved my life. I still use quotes every day to motivate myself, learn and find inspiration.
I hope quotes will do the same to you.
Finally, I wish you health and inner peace.
Maxime Lagacé (Twitter, Facebook)
Q & A
What are your favorite quotes of all-time?
Stay hungry, stay foolish. Steve Jobs
Learn to be indifferent to what makes no difference. Marcus Aurelius
Relax. Nothing is under control. Adi Da
Who are your role models and influencers?
I have a lot of role models, influencers and people I would like to thank.
The first one, my girlfriend, for her unconditional love, kindness and patience. And most of all, for the freedom she gives me.
My mother, because she taught me generosity.
My father, because he taught me independence and “doing your own thing“.
My sister, for all her energy, smiles and love.
My brother, for being strong and present for me. A real bro.
My friend Louis, for “raising the bar” and for all the fun and meaning he brings to my life.
My friend Oli, for his real and honest friendship and for all the miles we ran together.
My friend Jo, for our mutual love of music.
Tim Ferriss, for all his interviews, books and especially for the 4 Hour Work Week which inspired me to do my own thing.
Yuval Noah Harari, for showing me the importance of meditation.
Susan Cain, for her book Quiet and for showing me that being an introvert is awesome.
Joe Dispenza, for giving me hope that change is possible.
Jiddu Krishnamurti, for all his teachings, philosophy. There are no other authors like him.
Naval Ravikant, the modern philosopher, for all this clarity.
Cal Newport for showing me the importance of focus.
Marcus Aurelius for his Stoic philosophy.
Albert Einstein for his concern for humanity and his humility.
What is your favorite mantra/self-talk?
Love
Just keep going
Work hard, stay humble
No pain, no gain
Slow and steady
Direction over speed
How can I help people?
What am I grateful for?
Thanks
What is your #1 priority in life?
Health.
There’s nothing more important.
You can have love, friends, “success”, but if you don’t have health, you have nothing.
What are your other priorities?
Being free.
Spending quality time with people I love.
Try hard to improve as a human being.
Try to make the world a better place.
What are your best sources for quotes?
Twitter is a great source for quotes.
Here are a few good accounts:
- Naval Ravikant
- Shane Parrish
- Farnam Street
- James Clear
- Ed Latimore
- The Stoic Emperor
- The Ancient Sage
- Thibaut
- Life Math Money
- Orange Book
- Johnny Uzan
- Robert Greene
- Michael
- Greg McKeown
- Adam Grant
- Zen Proverbs
- Daily Zen
- Daily Stoic
- David Goggins
- Mark Manson
- Iyanla Vanzant
- Mel Robbins
- Susan Cain
- Brené Brown
Books are a good source too. Check out A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy for example.
Which books do you recommend?
Here’s the list.
Which book had the biggest impact for you?
The Book Of Life by Jiddu Krishnamurti.
After reading this book, I felt that any other self-help books were worthless.
Truth is a pathless land. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Remember though that it’s a deep book. Thich Nhat Hanh or Osho can be good places to start.
Meditation is the only magic in the world and the only miracle. Osho
Be free where you are. Thich Nhat Hanh
Any other books that influenced you?
Another good book that I’m still thinking about today is Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.
I learned that what sticks in our minds is what’s Simple, UNexpected, Credible, Concrete, Emotional, Stories (SUCCESs).
Which websites influenced you and still influence you today?
- zenhabits.net (life tips, simplicity, happiness)
- fs.blog (decision-making, thinking, quotes)
- brainpickings.org (old books, quotes, meaning of life)
Where do you store all your quotes?
I use Evernote and Trello and this website (wisdomquotes.com).
What is your goal in life?
To be the best version of myself so I can inspire people do the same.
Ultimately, I want to make a positive difference in the world so I can go on my deathbed without regrets.
What is your personality type?
Based on the MBTI, I’m an INFJ.
If you would like to take the test and learn more about yourself, you can click on this link.
Where do you live?
Ste-Julie (Quebec), Canada
Which countries did you visit?
Hong Kong, the USA, Brazil, Sweden, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Cuba, Republica Dominicana, Mexico, Spain, Greece, Costa Rica.
(Writing this, I feel so privileged)
What was your biggest struggle in life?
Overcoming depression after my girlfriend died in 2004.
I had everything, and then suddenly, I had nothing. At least, this is what I felt.
What’s your biggest life lesson?
Never base your happiness of something external, otherwise you’ll be miserable all your life.
You have everything you need, right here, right now.
It’s all in your way of thinking.
It took me 32 years to realize that.
Do you have other life lessons?
Don’t follow the crowd. The masses are normally wrong. Do your own thing, your own way.
How many kids do you have?
I have 2 sons.
What’s your parenting style?
Consistent, firm but loving.
I learned this in the book Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five
See also: parenting quotes
If you could have all the time in the world, what would you do?
- Trail running and hiking with friends and family
- Learning new things. I have a bucket list of things I’d love to learn like robot dancing and drumming
- Travelling to new countries. I’d love to visit Japan one day
- Improving my neighborhood and city
- Teaching kids about nutrition, exercise, meditation, persuasion, happiness, etc.
What is the purpose of life?
Simply to try to make the world a better place.
What are the best podcasts?
There are a lot of podcasts that I listen to. My top 4 are:
- The Tim Ferriss Show (self-improvement, meditation, psychology, success)
- Joe Rogan (inspiring people, meditation, sleep, good stories and anecdotes)
- Masters of Scale (business, startups)
- The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish (decision-making, mental models, reading, life)
What are the best podcast episodes?
- Naval Ravikant with Shane Parrish on The Knowledge Project (The Angel Philosopher on Investing, Making Decisions, Happiness and the Meaning of Life)
- Naval Ravikant with Tim Ferriss on The Tim Ferriss Show (The Person I Call Most for Startup Advice)
- Naval Ravikant on The Tim Ferriss Show (Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and the 5 Chimps Theory)
- Joe Rogan with Matthew Walker author of Why We Sleep
I still listen to those 4 episodes today and still learn valuable lessons every time.
Give it a shot!
What’s your favorite quote articles on wisdomquotes.com?
I love the Stoic quotes because you can apply them in your life and be more able to accept things as they are.
I love the focus quotes because without focus you’ll accomplish nothing in life.
I love the meditation quotes because they remind you that life is not only about accomplishing things, it’s also about “being”.
Which tips and tools do you use to simplify and improve your digital life?
- I use Trello every day. For me, it’s the ultimate organization tool for ALL parts of my life: work, personal, knowledge, brainstorming, family, etc.
- I use Google Calendar to schedule everything and GMail
- I use Spotify when I want to be inspired, focused and productive. Here’s the songs I listen to almost daily.
- I use DF Tube (Distraction Free YouTube)
- I use News Feed Eradicator for Facebook. I believe in a communication tool/Messenger, not Facebook
- I search mostly on Google but sometimes it’s on Ecosia. It’s a search engine that plant trees. Yes, you read that right.
- I try to have the simplest and cleanest environment when I work (and in life in general too). Discipline and focus are easier this way
- I removed all social media apps from my tablet (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). I still love and use Twitter since I follow a few wise accounts
- I hide my tablet at home
- I hide my bookmark bar in Chrome and show it just when I need
- I use only one screen at work (I’m a programmer/analyst). Most people have 2 or 3 screens
- I don’t have a smartphone
Who are the villains?
The villains are:
- most big corporations
- most marketers
- people who want your money first
- social media companies and attention engineers who have the goal of keeping you longer on their platform so they can make more money out of you
- you can check this excellent Ted Talk by Cal Newport, Quit social media
- the complex
- the crowd
- your screens
- your smartphone
- your ego
- your mind
What’s your biggest wish?
I hope that you, the reader, will have a good time during the few years you have on this planet.
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