“The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day. That is real freedom.  That is being taught how to think. The alternative is unconsciousness, the default setting, the “rat race” — the constant, gnawing sense of having had and lost some infinite thing.” 

…by the brilliant David Foster Wallace.

Favorite quote from the video:

“But if you learn how to pay attention, it will be within your power to experience a hell-type situation as sacred, on fire with the same forces that made the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down.”

…try to think about this when you’re suffering through a banal situation you would rather avoid. Really does have the power to change your perspective. 

Favorite quote from the speech which didn’t make it into this video short:

“If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. On one level, we all know this stuff already — it’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, bromides, epigrams, parables: the skeleton of every great story. The trick is keeping the truth up-front in daily consciousness. Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. And so on.” ~DFW