There are many people in the world who feel that if only they had a bigger car, a nicer house, better vacations, a more understanding boss, or a more interesting partner, then their life would work. We all go through that one. Slowly we wear out most of our ’if onlies.
An old Zen rule of thumb is not to answer until one has been asked three times.
We are caught in the contradiction of finding life a rather perplexing puzzle which causes us a lot of misery, and at the same time being dimly aware of the boundless, limitless nature of life. So we begin looking for an answer to the puzzle.
We’re constantly waking up to what we’re about, what we’re really doing in our lives. And the fact is, that’s painful. But there’s no possibility of freedom without this pain.
There is no end to the opening up that is possible for a human being.
If you feel stuck in your present life, if you feel no enthusiasm for anything, if you think you have no purpose or that you lost that purpose somewhere along the way, I guarantee you are living in a dungeon made of stories. And that none of those limiting stories are true.
People who get what they want tend to be the ones who make the effort to KNOW what they want.
When you are in a creative or appreciative zone, you literally have no access to your inner lizard, to that fear-based, non creative, shrieking little beasty who’s so afraid you’re going to be a bag lady.
Don’t expect the future to look like the past. Clear away expectations, and let yourself picture a wild, grand new world.
Every day brings new choices.
The way that other people judge me is none of my business.
No matter how difficult and painful it may be, nothing sounds as good to the soul as the truth.
Connecting with the people who are meant to be part of your own North Star is much more important than any aspect of business. It’s the essence of happiness, the full realization of your potential for joy.
Don’t hide love. If you feel it, express it-not to demand that others love you back, but simply to live outwardly the best of what you feel inwardly. The worst that can happen to your heart is not rejection by another person but failure to act on the love you feel.
Loneliness is proof that your innate search for connection is intact.
Just one mental shift-focusing on the abundance of your environment-switches your psychological settings so that your life automatically improves in many areas you may think are unrelated. This is essentially a leap from fear to faith.
Instead of hiding your loneliness, bring it into the light. Honor it. Treat it. Heal it. You’ll find that it returns the favor.
Welcoming imperfection is the way to accomplish what perfectionism promises but never delivers. It gives us our best performance and genuine acceptance in the family of human – and by that I mean imperfect – beings.
Many of us assume that we have to do things a certain way: ignore passion in favor of safer bets, act stoic amid inner turmoil, run on an upward trajectory of success and money acquisition at any emotional cost. But these are not rules.
Any moment you spend attacking yourself is a moment away from your higher purpose and your power to love. Don’t go there.