Sharon Salzberg

Causing harm is never just a one-way street.

There__ no denying that it takes effort to set the intention to see our fundamental connected-ness with others.

We__e in charge of our own forgiveness, and the process takes time, patience, and intention.

When we approach the journey acknowledging what we do not know and what we can__ control, we maintain our energy for the quest.

Mindfulness is so much wiser and more robust than our inner critic.

If we have nothing material to give, we can offer our attention, our energy, our appreciation. The world needs us. It doesn__ deplete us to give.

Meditation can be a refuge, but it is not a practice in which real life is ever excluded. The strength of mindfulness is that it enables us to hold difficult thoughts and feelings in a different way__ith awareness, balance, and love

When we relate to ourselves with loving kindness, perfectionism naturally drops away.

What we learn in meditation, we can apply to all other realms of our lives.

Paying attention to the ethical implications of our choices has never been more pressing__r more complicated__han it is today.

By accepting and learning to embrace the inevitable sorrows of life, we realize that we can experience a more enduring sense of happiness.

If we define ourselves by each of the ever-changing feelings that cascade through us, how will we ever feel at home in our own bodies and minds?

Wholehearted acceptance is a basic element of love, starting with love for ourselves, and a gateway to joy. Through the practices of loving kindness and self-compassion, we can learn to love our flawed and imperfect selves. And in those moments of vulnerability, we open our hearts to connect with each other, as well. We are not perfect, but we are enough.

The skills available to us through mindfulness make it possible to bring love to our connections with others.

Learning to treat ourselves lovingly may at first feel like a dangerous experiment.

Shame weakens us. It can make us frightened to take on something new. We start to withdraw from whatever might give us pleasure, self-esteem, or a sense of our value.

Wherever the responsibility lies, shame creates a solid and terrible feeling of unworthiness that resides in our bodies: the storehouse of the memories of our acts, real or imagined, and the secrets we keep about them.

When we contemplate the miracle of embodied life, we begin to partner with our bodies in a kinder way.