Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Watch your manner of speech if you wish to develop a peaceful state of mind. Start each day by affirming peaceful, contented and happy attitudes and your days will tend to be pleasant and successful.
There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Daring greatly means the courage to be vulnerable. It means to show up and be seen. To ask for what you need. To talk about how you’re feeling. To have the hard conversations.
I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.
Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.
Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.
If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.
We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.
Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing: We are not alone.
Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.
We are hardwired to connect with others, it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.
If you put shame in a petri dish, it needs three ingredients to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence, and judgment. If you put the same amount of shame in the petri dish and douse it with empathy, it can’t survive.
Shame cannot survive being spoken. It cannot tolerate having words wrapped around it. What it craves is secrecy, silence, and judgment. If you stay quiet, you stay in a lot of self-judgment.
Compassion is not a virtue – it is a commitment. It’s not something we have or don’t have – it’s something we choose to practice.
Worthiness doesn’t have prerequisites.
Wholehearted living is not like trying to reach a destination. It’s like walking toward a star in the sky. We never really ‘arrive,’ but we certainly know that we’re heading in the right direction.
Avoid negative people at all costs. They are the greatest destroyers of self-confidence and self-esteem.
Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind for they are the weeds that strangle confidence.