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Eckhart Tolle Quote on Finding The Life Underneath Your Problems

    “Narrow your life down to this moment.  Your life situation may be full of problems—most life situations are—but find out if you have any problem at this moment.  Not tomorrow or in ten minutes, but now.  Do you have a problem now?  When you are full of problems, there is no room for anything new to enter, no room for a solution.  So whenever you can, make some room, create some space, so that you find the life underneath your life situation.”

    Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now (Page 63)

    Beyond the Quote (53/365)

    Empty your cup.  Before you can make room for new tea in your cup, you need to empty what tea you already have.  If you keep pouring, your cup will keep overflowing and you will never be able to drink your tea because your cup will still have tea being poured into it!  That, plus, the space around you will quickly start turning into a terrible mess which will result more in panic than it will tea drinking.  You need to stop pouring the tea, place the kettle down, and focus on drinking what you have.  You need to create some space.  And the same is true for your life situation.

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    Paulo Coelho Quote on Listening To Your Heart

      “You will never be able to escape from your heart.  So it is better to listen to what it has to say.”

      Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

      Beyond the Quote (52/365)

      One of the greatest gifts I have received from my sister is the gift of a better connection to my own heart.  I don’t know anybody that is more in tune with their heart and has followed their heart’s path than she.  I see this now more than ever in how she has navigated some tough, unconventional life situations that didn’t have, well, conventional wisdom or many paths to refer to for help. When faced with unconventional situations that stray from a path that might be considered “normal,” many would try to suppress or escape from the feelings out of fear or anxiety and stick to the “norm” anyway—but not her.  From as early as I can remember, she has listened to her heart even in the most challenging of times and has been able to make the tough decisions which have led her to the beautiful path she is on now.  And what’s even more beautiful, is how this has manifested in her ability to help those around her too.

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      Jordan Peterson Quote on Disciplining Children

        “It is an act of responsibility to discipline a child.  It is not anger at misbehavior.  It is not revenge for a misdeed.  It is instead a careful combination of mercy and long-term judgment.  Proper discipline requires effort—indeed, is virtually synonymous with effort.  It is difficult to pay careful attention to children.  It is difficult to figure out what is wrong and what is right and why.  It is difficult to formulate just and compassionate strategies of discipline, and to negotiate their application with others deeply involved in a child’s care.  Because of this combination of responsibility and difficulty, any suggestion that all constraints placed on children are damaging can be perversely welcome.  Such a notion, once accepted, allows adults who should know better to abandon their duty to serve as agents of enculturation and pretend that doing so is good for children.  It’s a deep and pernicious act of self-deception.  It’s lazy, cruel and inexcusable.”

        Jordan Peterson, via 12 Rules for Life(Page 124)

        Beyond the Quote (51/365)

        Once we agree that the proper disciplining of children is necessary, the question that quickly follows is, how do we discipline properly?  What strategies and tactics should we use to ensure that our children will abide by and will continue to abide by the rules we have decided upon?  One idea that you might explore is a martial arts concept that is practiced in self-defense situations that suggests we use the minimum force necessary.  If we have to defend ourselves, we only use the minimum amount of force that would stun or neutralize the opponent so that we can safely escape.  For kids, the idea would be to use the minimum strategy or tactic necessary to get them back into accordance with the rule set.

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          “The bad habits we’ve formed are often useful to us because they help us deal with stress and boredom.  Consider some of the bad habits that fit this bill: smoking, procrastination by browsing the Internet, eating junk food, drinking, addiction to TV or video games, compulsive shopping, biting nails.  All of these habits fill a strong need: they are ways to cope with stress and/ or boredom.  We have formed them as coping mechanisms, and they stick around because we don’t have better ways of coping.  So if we replace them with healthier ways of coping, we get rid of the problems of these bad habits, and start getting the benefits of better habits.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 152)

            “Why quit cigarettes or all those sweets you’ve been eating?  Isn’t life short and meant to be enjoyed?  Don’t you deserve a treat?  Yes, these are the justifications I gave myself too.  And they’re a load of bull.  Life is short, so why waste it on pure junk?  Those things don’t make you happy—if anything, they made me less and less happy about myself.  I’ve been happier once I gave up those habits and learned to be healthy and trustworthy to myself.  Eating healthy food is a treat.  Living smoke-free is pure bliss.  But the biggest reason to change is that you love yourself.  You don’t need to harm yourself to find happiness and contentment.  Taking care of yourself is a form of self-compassion, and the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll feel good about how you’re loving yourself.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 148)

              “If you plunge into really cold water, you’ll be shocked, and you’ll hate it.  But if you go into water that’s only a little colder than room temperature, it won’t seem too bad.  After awhile, it’ll feel pretty normal.  Then if the water’s temperature drops a little more, it won’t seem too bad, and soon that will become normal.  You adjust.  When it comes to changing your life, don’t plunge into the freezing water.  You’ll soon get out of the water and be afraid of going in again.  Instead, take a dip in slightly cool water.  Make a very small change.  Adapt to that, then make another.  Gradually, through a series of small changes, you’ll see amazing progress.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 126)

              Quote on How It’s Easier To Build Up A Child Than Repair An Adult

                “It is easier to build up a child than it is to repair an adult.”

                Unknown

                Beyond the Quote (49/365)

                Learning how to properly educate, inspire, and guide our next generation is one of the most important duties we have as adults who have come before.  It is up to us to protect our kids from the world and at the same time, prepare them for it.  It is our obligation to give them the tools they need to succeed without simultaneously doing the work for them.

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                Matt Damon Quote on Taking Action Rather Than Sitting Around Thinking You’re “Too Cool”

                  “It was like, ‘Why are we sitting here?  Let’s make our own movie.’  And if people come to see it, they come; and if they don’t, they don’t.  Either way it beats sitting here going crazy.  When you have so much energy and so much passion and no outlet for it and nobody cares, it’s just the worst feeling… This whole ‘I’m too cool to care’ thing… is so weak and stupid and played out, and it just brings everybody down.  You shouldn’t be too cool to care, for Christ’s sake.  You should be full of vim and vigor, and trying to do everything you can to make a change.”

                  Matt Damon

                  Beyond the Quote (48/365)

                  Regardless of what gets you there, when the end conclusion is not caring, then all of the life that comes from caring dissolves.  Caring is exactly what drives us to listen, to pay attention, to take actions, to go above and beyond, and to think and reflect—essentially, when we don’t care, we’re choosing not to interact with the world (or at least that aspect of it).

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                    “All my attempts to control things should be abandoned, and I should just accept the ever changing, ever flowing nature of my life as a river.  It turns out that this model can bring me peace no matter where I am, no matter what’s happening.  If plans get disrupted, my day gets interrupted by a sudden crisis, information starts coming at me from everywhere, the pace of events starts quickening… I just picture myself as a river, with all of this stuff flowing through me.  I don’t try to hold it, control it, freeze it, but I embrace the flow.  I smile, I breathe, and I focus on one thing.  Then the next.  Not holding tightly to any of them, or wanting the river to be any certain way.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 120)

                      “When we procrastinate, it’s because we have an urge to run from the difficult, uncomfortable task.  We don’t want to do the hard work, or be in confusion, or fail at something, so we get the urge to run.  It stems from the fear of failure, of not being good enough.  The urge comes up, and we follow it!  But we don’t need to follow it.  We can watch the urge to procrastinate, like a cloud, but not act on it.  We can just let it float by, and get to work.  Let the cloud float away, because it doesn’t control you.  The cloud isn’t you.  It’s just a passing phenomenon, one that arises and floats away.” ~ Leo Babauta, Essential Zen Habits (Page 87)