Achievements in and of themselves change little in us; they are little more than a merit badge that tarnishes in time. Seen aright, it’s the suffering we endure for the sake of what we love that helps to transform and perfect our nature into something newer and truer. It is not so much what we acquire, as it is our willingness to pay the “cost” of it that actually enriches us.

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Act on what you love, not from what you fear, and watch how fear fades as love grows.