This is a book that I found several years back and really enjoyed. Every so often, I get it back out and re-remember some of its philosophies. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“You become most powerful in whatever you do if the action is performed for its own sake rather than as a means to protect, enhance, or conform to your role identity.” --I think this is why I enjoy motherhood so much; I have never thought of it as my "role." I am a mother because of my individual choice to bring each child into the world, and because I love it. Being a mother makes me feel powerful and is overall the most rewarding thing I could ever wish to be. However, if I were to think of it in terms of a role that was expected of me regardless of choice, much of the enjoyment and sense of purpose would disappear for me. Performing actions for their own sake removes the ego of wanting to appear a certain way for the approval of others and ourselves. It is receiving joy from being in the moment of action, instead of living for the result of the outcome.
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The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it.” The power of the mind to access a life of joy or pain never ceases to amaze me. It always empowers me when I am going through something I view as difficult to examine my internal dialogue to determine if it perhaps could be altered to ease some of my suffering. We all live our own individual realities formed by ourselves and the sooner we recognize our own power in that, the more stalwart we become in creating the life we truly want; a life of action, not reaction.
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Give up defining yourself - to yourself or to others. You won't die. You will come to life. And don't be concerned with how others define you.
When they define you, they are limiting themselves, so it's their problem. Whenever you interact with people, don't be there primarily as a function or a role, but as the field of conscious Presence.
You can only lose something that you have, but you cannot lose something that you are.” --I could probably read this one on a daily basis and still not conquer the concepts represented here. It's just so hard for me! I think it is the remnants of approval seeking that I still have in spite of desperately trying to rid myself of that quality. I need to remember that when people try and define me, they are limiting themselves. Putting labels on my children and myself is also limiting.
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Anything that you resent and strongly react to in another is also in you.” --This one I had to include because it gets under my skin so much that I was tempted not to include it and I figured that wasn't a good sign. None of us like to hear that if someone possesses a trait that resonates negatively with us, that chances are, it is in us as well. But hearing this does lead me to more introspection because BOY ARE THERE THINGS THAT BOTHER ME ABOUT SOME PEOPLE!!
“Man made God in his own image…” --If any of these quotes really got me thinking, it is this one. There is much commentary these days regarding, "What would Jesus do?" Whatever opinion or cause we or others side on, we may falsely assume that unequivocally, that is what Jesus would do. Many wars have been fought with each side thinking God was rooting for them and each side praying that their cause would win. The outcome perhaps is that we have made our image of God into the best versions of ourselves. I am sure there are opinions or traits in each of us that are noteworthy that God indeed possesses, but do we assume too often that He would always be in agreement with our way of thinking? Hmmmm. Something to think about, at least for me.
“Can you look without the voice in your head commenting, drawing conclusions, comparing, or trying to figure something out?” This quote reminds me of a meditation exercise I did several years back when we were told to picture ourselves taking our opinions, worries, labels, problems, etc. and putting them in a plastic bag separate from ourselves. What existed after that was just a clean slate that we could then choose to fill up or not fill up with whatever it was that we wanted. Have you ever tried observing a situation completely void of thought or opinion? It is a fascinating exercise and really shows how powerful our inner voice really is in creating bias and perhaps inaccurate opinions about situations and people.
“In essence, you are neither inferior nor superior to anyone. True self-esteem and true humility arise out of that realization. In the eyes of the ego, self-esteem and humility are contradictory. In truth, they are one and the same.” --This is something that I have really tried to grasp onto the past several years. I don't yet have claim on it completely, but the people I admire most realize and live this concept.
“When you don't cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life that was lost a long time ago when humanity, instead of using thought, became possessed by thought.”-- One of the ways we each try to make sense of our lives is with words and labels. This is especially a problem for people like me that THINK and Think and think and can never stop because sometimes you can think your way into a pretzel and simply existing in a moment gets lost in that.
“With stillness comes the benediction of Peace.”-- I love this because it is a reminder to Be Still occasionally. My life is often so hectic and loud, and when I do have an opportunity for stillness, I choose to listen to podcasts, music, to read, or to talk or write. Sometimes, don't we all need to just be still?
And to end on a lighter thought:
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Life isn't as serious as my mind makes it out to be.”--This last one is because I think I definitely take life too seriously sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time. The important thing is that I KNOW I am trying my very best in the important areas of my life, and if that just isn't good enough in the end, HEY! The terrestrial kingdom is a really great place I hear! And I might even get to listen to rock music and meet Oprah!
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