Just do it

No matter who said it...or where it came from...

I love the tagline 

"Just do it "

Nike's just do it, originated from a spree-killer Gary Gilmore, who said “Let’s do it” to the firing squad before he was executed in Utah in 1977.... Dan Wieden (the Wieden in Wieden & Kennedy) was the one who spotted the line and said that he liked the “do it” part. He said, “None of us really paid that much attention. We thought, ‘Yeah. That’d work.’ ”  But the effect of the line was much bigger than that, as he explained, “People started reading things into it much more than sport.” Both the Nike Swoosh and the tagline “Just do it” are  still being used today. 

“Rabbit’s clever,” said Pooh thoughtfully.

“Yes,” said Piglet. “Rabbit’s clever.”

“And he has Brain.”

“Yes,” said Piglet, “Rabbit has Brain.”

There was a long silence.

“I suppose,” said Pooh, “that that’s why he never understands anything.

Winny the Pooh was really good at it; zen, tao, buddism, mental coaching everything is all about 'it', and everybody eventually learns to 'just do it'.

Inspiration is wonderful, but if we just rely on inspiration, it fizzles out. And then we’re lost. So it’s not about inspiration or not inspiration. It's about doing things. In zen they say: “Just do it.” Like or dislike is what creates the prison we live in. So if you only practice when you want to practice and then don’t practice when you don’t want to practice, that’s a fundamental problem. You are following the winds of your desire, and that’s what leads to suffering. The Buddha’s teaching is very simple. We suffer because of our desire, our anger, and our ignorance. So if our practice is based on desire, all it does is lead us to more suffering. So we have to look at our lives realistically and see what we can do. And then set our sights and our direction on doing that. Likes and dislikes – that’s what we will meet when we sit down. Just do it! And then, don’t be too concerned about success or failure. Your direction says do it, well… I don’t feel like it, so I didn’t do it tonight. Then tomorrow night is a new night, just do it. Don’t get stuck in thinking. Moment to moment, be fresh and alive. Just do what you set out to do. Not just for one week, not for one month, not for one year, not even for one decade. Day after day after day… moment to moment to moment… Sounds easy, right?