Loving

The gods do not deduct from one's life the hours spent loving. Ancient Chinese Proverb

Meditating

While meditating on the mind, do not hope or pray not to encounter obstacles. Without hindrances, present knowledge will not be challenged or broadened. Po Lun San Mi Lu

Softening

All of my life I've been like a doubled up fist...pounding, smashing, driving. Now I'm going to loosen these doubled up hands and touch things easy with them. Tennessee Williams

Traveler

A good traveler has no fixed plan, and is not intent on arriving. Lao Tzu

Truth

Truth lifts the heart, like water refreshes thirst. Rumi

A Gift

There are so many eyes I'll look into today that don't know love. I will give some away with unconditional tolerance, it's a gift to myself and to others.

Stress

A diamond is just a piece of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well.

Words

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act on upon them? Buddha

Heart

Your heart is the size of an ocean. Go find yourself in its hidden depths! Rumi

Peace

Peace does not come through prayer, we human beings must create peace. Dalai Lama

Striving

In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. Buddha

Self-knowledge

The more you know yourself, the more clarity there is. Self-knowledge has no end - you don't come to an achievement, you don't come to a conclusion. It is an endless river. J. Krisnamurti

Responsible

You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think. A Course in Miracles

Doubt and Faith

Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother. Kahlil Gibran

Love

Gamble everything for love, if you are a true human being. Halfheartedness does not reach into majesty. Rumi

Virtue and Wisdom

To be even-minded is the greatest virtue. Wisdom is to speak the truth and act in keeping with its nature.  Heraclitus

Awaken

Only when you awaken do you realize you were dreaming. John Wareham

Change

Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

Story Lines

We cannot be present and run our story-line at the same time. Pema Chodren

Troublemakers

Anger, jealousy, impatience, and hatred are the real troublemakers, with them problems cannot be solved. Dalai Lama 

New Roads

Your mind, this globe of awareness, is a starry universe. When you push off with your foot, a thousand new roads become clear. Rumi

No Choice

We get no choice. If we love, we grieve. Thomas Lynch

Change

The black cloud will disappear: the morning sun will appear once again in all its glory. Sri Chinmoy

Polishing

If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished? Rumi

Tolerance

In our human life, tolerance is very important, it helps you overcome difficulties. Without it, tiny things irritate you and you overreact. Dalai Lama

Love

The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed. Krishnamurti

Breathing

Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor. Thich Nhat Hanh 

Complex Relationships

The process of untangling the relationships between ourselves and our parents – 

as well as with our children – is a long term process. Each of us came into the world helpless. As children, we had no choice about relying on our parents. We reached adulthood with a mixture of gratitude, guilt, and resentment. The same is true of our children. Those of us who are parents began with an obligation to our children. We may now feel a mixture of commitment, fulfillment and guilt.

No parent can teach a child everything he or she will need. We all do what we can to continue to learn and grow. We have lifelong commitments to each other – within reason. We are all trying to make our way as best we can. We each need to advance our own well-being and not destroy our lives for the sake of a parent or a child.

Guides

Be grateful for whatever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. Rumi

Shared Concern

Human beings are social creatures, and a concern for each other is the very basis of our life together. Dalai Lama

Imperfections

Sometimes we feel ashamed or frightened by our imperfections, or we strive so hard to overcome them that we successfully close our lives down to a very narrow, controllable scale. Spiritual awakening means we have a zest for life and accept our imperfections.