“Our business is to wake up. We have to find ways in which to detect the whole of reality in the one illusory part which our self-centered consciousness permits us to see. We must not live thoughtlessly, taking our illusion for the complete reality, but at the same time we must not live too thoughtfully in the sense of trying to escape from the dream state. We must be continuously on our watch for ways in which we may enlarge our consciousness.”
Aldous Huxley, Sunbeams (Page 14)
“A tree growing out of the ground is as wonderful today as it ever was. It does not need to adopt new and startling methods.”
Robert Henri, Sunbeams (Page 14)
“There is no coming to consciousness without pain.”
Carl Jung, Sunbeams (Page 14)
“When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.”
St. Jerome, Sunbeams (Page 14)
Carl Jung Quote on How Confronting Darkness Can Show You To Your Light
“To confront a person with his own shadow is to show him his own light.”
Carl Jung, Sunbeams (Page 3)
Beyond the Quote (Day 382)
Like most, I can still vividly recall moments when I was caused a great deal of irritation, frustration, anger, and pain. Times when people didn’t follow through with their word, or when they would treat others unfairly, or when they did things that were irrational, nonsensical, or just plain malicious. And sometimes, those moments would get the best of me and cause an influx of negative, overpowering, blinding emotions. But what I didn’t realize then, that I can see more clearly now, is that the only reason I was able to see those shadows was because of my own light.
Read More »Carl Jung Quote on How Confronting Darkness Can Show You To Your Light“I now live in woke mode. For me, every moment is a reawakening, a chance to meet myself exactly as I am. I’m finally allowing myself to just be. Be giddy. Be irritable. Be vulnerable. Be silly. Be exhilarated. Be whomever and however I am. That is my practice, my daily meditation. It’s also my daily prayer for all of us—that we allow others the same freedom of expression that we are learning to grant to ourselves.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 216)
“A lot of us are over the fakeness. Much of what we see and consume in our world is so carefully constructed and polished, so highly curated. Like never before, we crave the authentic, not just when it comes to appearance, but also in our narratives. In our conversations. In our work and political spheres. In our friendships and intimate relationships. And as we uncover that truth, as we remove the masks and falsehoods and finally get clear on what’s real, the work of our lives, as I see it, is to stand immovably in that truth.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 211)
“I still wear makeup when I feel like it, though less of it, and I still enjoy experimenting with a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow. The point is that I, and everyone else, have a choice. And we should be able to freely make that choice, from one moment to the next, without society’s ‘standard of beauty’ hovering over us. I am my own standard-bearer. So are you.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 211)
“Our family has become the definition of a successful blend. When you love someone, you love their journey—and that path leads you to the family dynamic you were meant to inherit and devote yourself to. Through my own childhood experience, I know how often we’re taught what a family should look like. And if your family doesn’t look like what we’ve been shown, we somehow feel incomplete. But really, families come in all versions, shapes, and sizes, and should be celebrated as part of our collective experience. That is what life has taught me.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 205)
“Do you remember, in school or early in your life, being afraid to try something because you feared you might fail at it? Most teenagers choose to fool around rather than exert themselves. Halfhearted, lazy effort gives them a ready-made excuse: ‘It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t even trying.’ As we get older, failure is not so inconsequential anymore. What’s at stake is not some arbitrary grade or intramural sports trophy, but the quality of your life and your ability to deal with the world around you.”
Ryan Holiday, The Daily Stoic (Page 25)
Abraham Lincoln Quote on The Future and How It Only Comes One Day At A Time
“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”
Abraham Lincoln, Sunbeams (Page 12)
Beyond the Quote (Day 381)
This is great news because it means you don’t have to have your whole life figured out right now. I think sometimes people forget that. The fear of not knowing how everything is going to play out in a year, five years, ten years, their lifetime—causes many people unnecessary anxiety and stress. And while it’s certainly beneficial to have a one year, five year, ten year, lifetime plan/ goal/ direction—it shouldn’t steal you away from what’s available to you now.
Read More »Abraham Lincoln Quote on The Future and How It Only Comes One Day At A Time
“I’ve made a lot of decisions from my head. I’ve chosen to go in this direction or that one based on finances. Or because something seems like a great opportunity. Or because I don’t want to hurt people’s feelings or disappoint them. Or because someone is pushing me toward an agenda that serves them. But when I’ve listened to my heart—when I’ve trusted what my spirit is telling me—that yes has always steered me right.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 185)
“I looked for someone outside of myself to dream up and create what only I could. I eventually realized that no one else can see your big picture. Only you know the journey you’re on. Others can contribute, and you should definitely surround yourself with smart people who lift you higher and share in your vision. But the truth is, even with wise counsel, only you know what your next step should be. All my best decisions in life have come when I’ve tuned in to what felt like the best move for me.”
Oprah Winfrey, via More Myself (Page 193)
“For if we open our eyes and see clearly, it becomes obvious that there is no other time than this instant, and that the past and the future are abstractions without any concrete reality. Until this has become clear, it seems that our life is all past and future, and that the present is nothing more than the infinitesimal hairline which divides them. From this comes the sensation of ‘having no time,’ of a world which hurries by so rapidly that it is gone before we can enjoy it. But through ‘awakening to the instant’ one sees that this is the reverse of the truth: it is rather the past and future which are the fleeting illusions, and the present which is eternally real.”
Alan Watts, The Way of Zen, via Sunbeams (Page 12)
Tony Robbins Quote on Complexity and How It’s The Enemy of Execution
“Complexity is enemy of execution.”
Tony Robbins
Beyond the Quote (Day 380)
I have two bamboo plants. One in my living room and one in my kitchen. The one in my living room is dying. The one in my kitchen is thriving. Same bamboo. Same house. Same caregiver. Same fondness for both. The only difference is their location.
Read More »Tony Robbins Quote on Complexity and How It’s The Enemy of Execution