Success vs Joy

I recently completed this wonderful book "Success vs Joy" by Geet Sethi, who has won Billiards World Championship, six times. I present here some of sentences that inspired, impacted and provoked me. You will possibly like some, identify with some and simply smile at some.

• Joy is internal; Success is a creation of the society
• "There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path" - (quoted from The Matrix)
• The road to excellence is paved with joy, not with targets and numerical standards.
• There is joy in any activity that leads to personal growth and excellence. The process of growth and learning is the basis of joy. Where there is joy, there is no sacrifice.
• Discipline is concentrating one's efforts in a secluded environment and training yourself to focus on what you are enthused by.
• Pure action can be described as an action that has three qualities - concentration, consistency and humility. Killer instinct is another expression for concentration. Concentration is built through lifestyle and not through any formula or mantra.
• The genuinely talented player only plays selfishly, for himself and not for audience. That is what gives him unadulterated joy and pleasure.
• Commitment to joy will create its own success. Seek joy and success will naturally follow.
• I have have learnt that when I wanted success and was willing to sacrifice joy for it, eventually got neither.
• You have to be very clear about who are you and what gives you joy. Work hard learn, grow, and stretch out to reach to this joy. Use every cell in your body and brain to hit that personal sweet spot of joy. And my experience says that success just follows.
• Success is a result. Its a job well done. Success is not about achieving fame, accumulating money or having power. Success is personal and have nothing to do with what society may think.
• My weakest moments, those situations where I lost my nerve, were at times when greed took over my entire being and I started playing for success, rewards and trophies.
• In the ultimate analysis, joy is finding your own uniqueness and being able to express this uniqueness through a perfectly executed stroke.
• Pride is not joy. Joy emanates from one's own actions, from what one feels deep down inside.
• For a performer there is no competitor. In the book of success there is, but not in the book of excellence.Excellence will come from the discovery of the self. So you have to forget the opponent and delve deep within to master your own frailties and insecurities.
• The real "I, me, mine" is independent of anybody's expectations - be they of parents, spouse, children, partners and above all your own. You just cannot live your life according to the expectations of others. Courage is in doing what you believe is right.
• Most of us would like to believe that we are intelligent and that we understand and appreciate this. Intuitively, most of us know what is good for us in the long run. But we do not listen to our inner voice because the cacophony around us drowns it.
• I have learnt to own up to my responsibilities and discard any expectations that others may have of me. I have also tried utmost to remove and eliminate any self-expectations. It is these expectations that show up as insecurities.
• I like to indulge in activities that give me joy. My joy lies in being myself, and living moment to moment. You can be alone, without being lonely.
• Those with strength of character are able to listen to their conscience, their inner voice, and then act accordingly. I define character as the courage of conviction to be your own self.
• If you want social status through a game, you will certainly be disappointed. The world does not really care whether you lose or win. You play for yourself and the joy the game gives you. Nothing else.
• Do not quit without a struggle. Do not give up unless you have stretched your potential to its limits. Only then you will experience the joy that makes life worth living. This is the joy that underscores success.